a person who makes a living by pulling boats upstream using a rope from the riverbank; a tracker

to pull a boat along a river by a rope from the shore

a heavy rope used by trackmen or laborers to pull a boat along a river

(variant form) to thicken a sauce with a starch slurry while cooking

The historic Ancient Towpath located along the Grand Canal in Zhejiang Province

towpath along a canal or river used by people or animals towing boats