harbor

[ hahr-ber ]
See synonyms for: harborharboredharboring on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a part of a body of water along the shore deep enough for anchoring a ship and so situated with respect to coastal features, whether natural or artificial, as to provide protection from winds, waves, and currents.

  2. such a body of water having docks or port facilities.

  1. any place of shelter or refuge: The old inn was a harbor for tired travelers.

verb (used with object)
  1. to give shelter to; offer refuge to: They harbored the refugees who streamed across the borders.

  2. to conceal; hide: to harbor fugitives.

  1. to keep or hold in the mind; maintain; entertain: to harbor suspicion.

  2. to house or contain.

  3. to shelter (a vessel), as in a harbor.

verb (used without object)
  1. (of a vessel) to take shelter in a harbor.

Origin of harbor

1
before 1150; Middle English herber(we), herberge,Old English herebeorg lodgings, quarters (here army + (ge)beorg refuge); cognate with German Herberge
  • Also especially British, har·bour .

synonym study For harbor

1. Harbor, haven, port indicate a shelter for ships. A harbor may be natural or artificially constructed or improved: a fine harbor on the eastern coast. A haven is usually a natural harbor that can be utilized by ships as a place of safety; the word is common in literary use: a haven in time of storm; a haven of refuge. A port is a harbor viewed especially in its commercial relations, though it is frequently applied in the meaning of harbor or haven also: a thriving port; any old port in a storm. 6. See cherish.

Other words for harbor

Other words from harbor

  • har·bor·er, noun
  • har·bor·less, adjective
  • har·bor·ous, adjective
  • un·har·bored, adjective

Words that may be confused with harbor

Words Nearby harbor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use harbor in a sentence