Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Fake \Fake\, v. t. (Naut.)
   To coil (a rope, line, or hawser), by winding alternately in
   opposite directions, in layers usually of zigzag or figure of
   eight form,, to prevent twisting when running out.

   {Faking box}, a box in which a long rope is faked; used in
      the life-saving service for a line attached to a shot.