harbor

[ hahr-ber ]

/ ˈhɑr bər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR harbor ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

such a body of water having docks or port facilities.

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

verb (used with object)

to give shelter to; offer refuge to: They harbored the refugees who streamed across the borders.

to conceal; hide: to harbor fugitives.

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

to house or contain.

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

verb (used without object)

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

Words nearby harbor

harassment, harbin, harbinger, harbinger-of-spring, harbona, harbor, harbor master, harbor seal, harborage, harborside, harbour

Also especially British, har·bour.

Origin of harbor

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

SYNONYMS FOR harbor

3 asylum, sanctuary, retreat.

4 protect, lodge.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR harbor ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM harbor

har·bor·er, nounhar·bor·less, adjectivehar·bor·ous, adjectiveun·har·bored, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH harbor

dock harbor pier wharf

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.

Examples from the Web for harbor

“If Charleston harbor needs improvement, let the commerce of Charleston bear the burden,” he said.
Steve Scalise Shows There’s a Fine Line Between Confederate & Southern|Lloyd Green|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Rights activists like Boledi, the Iranian Baluch dissident living in Sweden, harbor some of the same concerns.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan|Umar Farooq|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I harbor a rock ‘n’ roll fantasy, just like anybody, and I welcomed the challenge.
Michael C. Hall on Going Drag for ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ and Exorcising ‘Dexter’|Marlow Stern|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He continued to harbor core conservative beliefs, but started to believe they could be achieved “through liberal structures.”
Canada’s Subversive Sock Puppet: Ed the Sock Isn’t Afraid to Say Anything|Soraya Roberts|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The151-foot newborn waited in the harbor on her 171-foot pedestal, a huge French flag fluttering over her dark copper face.
128 Years Old and Still a Looker: Happy Birthday to Lady Liberty|Elizabeth Mitchell|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I find, by the way, that I am beginning to harbor a sympathy for your father's wife.
Phases of an Inferior Planet|Ellen Glasgow
When they entered the harbor of Balaklava, they found all the vessels crowded with people.
Florence Nightingale the Angel of the Crimea|Laura E. Richards
The Spring Grounds are near the harbor and so are fished before the others.
Fishing Grounds of the Gulf of Maine|Walter H. Rich
I shall look for him every day in the harbor near the village, and when his face is sad I shall claim him for my own.
The Flower Princess|Abbie Farwell Brown
We have seen that vessels engaged in fishing were exempted from the harbor duty.
A short history of Rhode Island|George Washington Greene