berth
a shelflike sleeping space, as on a ship, airplane, or railroad car.
Nautical.
the space allotted to a vessel at anchor or at a wharf.
the distance maintained between a vessel and the shore, another vessel, or any object.
the position or rank of a ship's officer.
the cabin of a ship's officer.
a job; position.
a place, listing, or role: She clinched a berth on our tennis team.
Nautical.
to allot to (a vessel) a certain space at which to anchor or tie up.
to bring to or install in a berth, anchorage, or moorage: The captain had to berth the ship without the aid of tugboats.
to provide with a sleeping space, as on a train.
Nautical. to come to a dock, anchorage, or moorage.
Idioms about berth
give a wide berth to, to shun; remain discreetly away from: Since his riding accident, he has given a wide berth to skittish horses.
Origin of berth
1Other words for berth
Other words from berth
- un·berth, verb (used with object)
Words that may be confused with berth
- berth , birth
Words Nearby berth
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use berth in a sentence
Then to close out the season, Washington returns home for meetings with Rivera’s old team, the Panthers, and the Seattle Seahawks, before heading to Philadelphia with possibly a playoff berth on the line.
Ron Rivera tries to keep Washington focused amid increasing coronavirus disruptions | Nicki Jhabvala | November 30, 2020 | Washington PostAfter everyone cooled down, the 6-3 teams, in contention for a wild-card berth, turned their attention to football.
AFC South thrives and the Steelers stay unbeaten in NFL Week 11 | Cindy Boren, Mark Maske, Des Bieler | November 23, 2020 | Washington PostFrom here, Ohio State needs to sweep Illinois, Michigan State and Michigan — none of whom will escape this weekend with a winning record — and then defeat the Big Ten West champ to effectively sew up a playoff berth.
College football winners and losers for Week 12: Northwestern on track for Big Ten title game | Patrick Stevens | November 22, 2020 | Washington PostLike at airports, berths are used by multiple ships, and a late ship can cause larger delays in the system.
Whale ‘roadkill’ is on the rise off California. A new detection system could help. | Erik Olsen | September 29, 2020 | Popular-ScienceIt ended, as Butler was leading Miami to a berth in the NBA Finals, with a first-round sweep and the dismissal of head coach Brett Brown.
Can The Sixers Find A Way To Win It All With Embiid And Simmons? | James L. Jackson | September 28, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
Applying the Fourth Amendment to street stops, the Court has long preferred bright, clear rules that give wide berth to police.
Only then would a racer likely get a chance at a World Cup berth, from the very back of the start list.
Skiing Prodigy Mikaela Shiffrin Looks Ahead to Sochi | Jake Bright | December 1, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTNobody wants to come anywhere near you, and the more expensive the other car, the wider berth it allows.
Still, I retain hope that—given its midseason berth—NBC can tweak this enough to improve on an underwhelming first showing.
TV Preview: Snap Judgments of 2012-13’s New Shows | Jace Lacob, Maria Elena Fernandez | June 12, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTThey arranged for a berth for Liebling on LCI(L)-88, one of the first large landing crafts scheduled to hit Omaha.
The Story of the American Journalists Who Landed on D-Day | Timothy M. Gay | June 6, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTHe showed his wisdom in giving the Pandemonium card-room a very wide berth for the rest of his days.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsLet the young philosopher avoid such practice, and give a wide berth to those who follow them.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.This was not a bad idea, although the stranger shuddered as he thought of his ill-smelling stateroom and short berth.
The Cromptons | Mary J. HolmesThis seemed reasonable, and the people settled upon it, and gave him a wide berth as one who wished to be let alone.
The Cromptons | Mary J. HolmesHe kept his official berth, and continued to go into society, frequenting dances and theatres.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky | Modeste Tchaikovsky
British Dictionary definitions for berth
/ (bɜːθ) /
a bed or bunk in a vessel or train, usually narrow and fixed to a wall
nautical a place assigned to a ship at a mooring
nautical sufficient distance from the shore or from other ships or objects for a ship to manoeuvre
give a wide berth to to keep clear of; avoid
nautical accommodation on a ship
informal a job, esp as a member of a ship's crew
(tr) nautical to assign a berth to (a vessel)
nautical to dock (a vessel)
(tr) to provide with a sleeping place, as on a vessel or train
(intr) nautical to pick up a mooring in an anchorage
Origin of berth
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with berth
see give a wide berth to.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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