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Glite Dictionary
towing line

towing line

2.8
A strong rope or cable used to pull something, often a boat
  • noun
  • /ˈtoʊɪŋ laɪn/
translation icon : cabo de remolque
  • The captain instructed the crew to load the towing line onto the vessel before the storm hit.

Examples

  • Before departing, they checked the towing line to ensure it was strong enough for the journey.

  • I told him to stand by to take a heaving line, make it fast to his anchor cable, and let out a hundred feet of scope between us to make a towing line.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The sailor secured the towing line to pull the stranded boat into the harbor.

Synonyms

line
vstowing line
∞ 1.1

A long thin rope or wire used to carry things

is specific to ropes or cables used to pull vessels or vehicles at sea
painter
vstowing line
3 9.1

A rope attached to the front of a boat used to tie it up or tow it

is a more general rope for pulling not limited to bow attachment
towline
vstowing line
1 5.1

A rope used to pull a vehicle or boat

is the general rope or cable for pulling objects especially at sea
towing rope
vstowing line
2.8

A strong rope that people use to pull a car or boat

refers to any rope or cable used to pull objects rather than only strong ropes
towrope
vstowing line
4.5

A strong rope that you use to pull a car or boat

is the broader term for a rope or cable used to pull things

How Strong

hawser
  • Specialized
1 9.9
cable
  • Specialized
282 2.4
towing line
2.8
rope
614 1.0
line
∞ 1.1
cord
176 1.0

Surface Forms

towing line singular
towing lines plural

Morphology

tow + line

The meaning 'a rope or cable used to tow' is directly and predictably derived from 'tow' (to pull) + 'line' (a cord or rope). This is a straightforward compound noun following common English noun-noun composition and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Towing line comes from a clear picture: a long rope or cable used to 'tow' a broken boat or car. It links tow meaning 'to pull' and line meaning 'rope', so the phrase pictures a rope that pulls something and today means the rope or cable used to pull a boat or vehicle.