berth

[ burth ]

/ bɜrθ /

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See synonyms for: berth / berthed / berthing on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

verb (used with object)

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.

verb (used without object)

Nautical. to come to a dock, anchorage, or moorage.

SYNONYMS FOR berth

4 spot, slot, position, post, niche, appointment.

See synonyms for berth on Thesaurus.com

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Idioms for 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

1615–25; probably bear¹ + -th¹

OTHER WORDS FROM berth

un·berth, verb (used with object)

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH berth

berth , birth

Words nearby berth

berry spoon, bersagliere, berseem, berserk, Bert, berth, bertha, berthage, Berthelot, Bertie, Bertiella

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for berth

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 Post
After 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 Post
From 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 Post
Like 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 Science

It 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.
Can Government Call the Shots on Cellphone Privacy?|Aziz Huq|April 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
Nobody wants to come anywhere near you, and the more expensive the other car, the wider berth it allows.
How to Be a Racing Pirate King|David Frum|May 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
They 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|DAILY BEAST
He 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 Wills
Let 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. Holmes
This 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. Holmes
He 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

berth

/ (bɜːθ) /

noun

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

verb

(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

Word Origin for berth

C17: probably from bear 1 + -th 1

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

Idioms and Phrases with berth

berth

see give a wide berth to.

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