Towrope

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A strong cable or line used to haul a vehicle or boat behind another ; a rope attached to a disabled car so it can be pulled along the road
2. A length of heavy rope or cable used to pull a boat or automobile behind another vessel ; a line fastened to a broken-down car so a tow truck can drag it
3. A sturdy line fixed between two craft or vehicles so one can be hauled by the other ; a cord used to drag a stalled automobile to a repair shop

Etymology: "Towrope" is a plain compound: "tow" (to pull or drag something along behind, from Old English "togian") joined to "rope." A towrope is simply the rope used to drag one vehicle or vessel behind another. The word follows the same pattern as other English compounds built from a verb and a noun, such as "clothesline" or "pushrod," where the first element names the action and the second names the object.

Synonyms: towline, tow line, tow cable