harbor

American  

[hahr-ber] / ˈhɑr bər /

especially British, harbour

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.

3. any place of shelter or refuge.

   The old inn was a harbor for tired travelers.

   Synonyms:

   retreat, sanctuary, asylum

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verb (used with object)

1. to give shelter to; offer refuge to.

   They harbored the refugees who streamed across the borders.

   Synonyms:

   lodge, protect

2. to conceal; hide.

   to harbor fugitives.

3. to keep or hold in the mind; maintain; entertain.

   to harbor suspicion.

4. to house or contain.

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

verb (used without object)

1. (of a vessel) to take shelter in a harbor.

Related Words

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. See cherish.

Other Word Forms

• harborer
  noun
• harborless
  adjective
• harborous
  adjective
• unharbored
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of harbor

before 1150; Middle English herber ( we ), herberge, Old English herebeorg lodgings, quarters ( here army + ( ge ) beorg refuge); cognate with German Herberge

Explanation

A harbor is a safe place providing refuge and comfort. If you're traveling, the harbor provided by a warm hotel is welcome. For ships, a harbor is a sheltered port area shielded from waves, where it's safe to dock. Harbor can also be used as a verb, which describes maintaining a belief or a feeling. If you harbor ill-will toward your neighbor John, you don't like him much. Harbor can also mean you hold back your ideas and don't express them openly. John may have no idea you hate him if you harbor your true feelings deep inside, but pretend you like him to his face.

Example Sentences

With its glorious views and picturesque harbor, Whitby is the antithesis of gothic horror.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

The next month, she announced that she was leaving the safe harbor of Fox News for the open seas of NBC.

From Slate • May 6, 2026

In March, two cargos of jet fuel went to Europe from New York harbor, which Cinquegrana said it was a “very rare” occurrence that wouldn’t have made economic sense before the war.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

One tanker left from New York harbor to Europe this month, an exceptionally rare occurrence, according to Denton Cinquegrana, chief oil analyst at OPIS, which is owned by Dow Jones publisher Barron’s.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

Grytviken was a Norwegian outpost on Stromness Bay, a natural harbor at the base of the island’s rugged alpine cliffs and glaciers.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Related Words

• dock
• inlet
• pier
• port
• road
• wharf