harbor

[ hahr-ber ]

/ ˈhɑr bər /

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See synonyms for: harbor / harbored / harboring 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR harbor

3 asylum, sanctuary, retreat.

4 protect, lodge.

See synonyms for harbor on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

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 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

How to use harbor in a sentence

If 2020 was a tidal wave that left us adrift in an ocean of uncertainty, books became our islands, providing safe harbor for our exhausted psyches.
In a tumultuous year, books helped us cope|Washington Post Editors and Reviewers|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
It’s the second iteration of the company’s original printer, called the BOD, which was used to print a small, free-standing office building in Copenhagen near one of the city’s harbors.
A 3D Printed Apartment Building Is Going Up in Germany|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|November 19, 2020|Singularity Hub
Fire Island Fun – A Look at the Night LifeSip n TwirlSituated by the harbor and offering great drinks, music, and a crowded dance floor, Sip n Twirl is a favorite Fire Island night spot.
Fire Island Pines: One Of America’s First LGBTQ Coastal Towns|LGBTQ-Editor|November 18, 2020|No Straight News
Finally, in May 1989, Mouser went to work temporarily in Whittier, an isolated harbor town outside of Anchorage.
Her Stepfather Admitted to Sexually Abusing Her. That Wasn’t Enough to Keep Her Safe.|by Nadia Sussman|September 18, 2020|ProPublica

For example, it can make a photo of a harbor look as if it were painted by Monet, or make a photo of mountains taken in the summer look like it was taken in the winter.
The hack that could make face recognition think someone else is you|Karen Hao|August 5, 2020|MIT Technology Review
She confessed to harboring a “creeping concern that [Edward Snowden] is not who he purports to be.”
From ISIS to Ebola, What Has Made Naomi Wolf So Paranoid?|Michael Moynihan|October 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Apart from the Donald Sterlings among us, most people are about as guilty of deliberately harboring prejudice as we are talking.
Eight Things Every White Person Should Know About White Privilege|Sally Kohn|May 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She was convicted of merely harboring illegal immigrants, not exploiting them.
Did Christie Go Easy on a Human Trafficker Just to Bust a Small-Time Pol?|Olivia Nuzzi|March 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Most people would not suspect Robert Mugabe of harboring a guilty conscience.
Searching Hard for Mugabe’s Conscience|James Kirchick|January 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Are these not the words of someone harboring anti-Muslim bias?
Commentary Mag Defends Bigoted Smears Against Palestinian NFL Player|Ali Gharib|July 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He captured two, whom he shot, and burned two or three houses whose owners had been harboring the gang.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
He knew nothing of their reason for being in Paris, and had no idea that he was harboring dangerous characters.
The Light That Lures|Percy Brebner
We have come with authority from headquarters to search your house, Madam; we understand you are harboring rebels.
That Old-Time Child, Roberta|Sophie Fox Sea
A fine of $1,000 and six months' imprisonment was to be imposed on any person harboring a fugitive slave or aiding him to escape.
A History of the Nineteenth Century, Year by Year|Edwin Emerson
But Dotty did not know that her cousin Johnny was harboring such bitter thoughts against her.
Dotty Dimple At Home|Sophie May