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harbour

American  
[hahr-ber] / ˈhɑr bər /

noun

Chiefly British.
  1. harbor.


harbour British  
/ ˈhɑːbə /

noun

  1. a sheltered port

  2. a place of refuge or safety

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to give shelter to

    to harbour a criminal

  2. (tr) to maintain secretly

    to harbour a grudge

  3. to shelter (a vessel) in a harbour or (of a vessel) to seek shelter

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Spelling

See -or 1.

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of harbour

Old English herebeorg, from here troop, army + beorg shelter; related to Old High German heriberga hostelry, Old Norse herbergi


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

"For too long, Sydney has looked towards the harbour and the CBD. What this does is turn it around to where people live, to where jobs occur, to where investment occurs in western Sydney."

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

Adoring fans named her Bukangi, from "buk hang", the Korean name of the nearby harbour.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

But, with the backing of Australian businessman Grant Wechsel, former Brisbane Broncos star Darren Lockyer and a squad full of internationals, they do still harbour hopes of playing in Super League in 2027.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Sadler said the dredging was routine, and helped maintain safe access to the harbour.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

They were more than kind and courteous, and took us at once on board the Czarina Catherine, which lay at anchor out in the river harbour.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

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