harbour
Americannoun
noun
-
a sheltered port
-
a place of refuge or safety
verb
-
(tr) to give shelter to
to harbour a criminal
-
(tr) to maintain secretly
to harbour a grudge
-
to shelter (a vessel) in a harbour or (of a vessel) to seek shelter
Spelling
See -or 1.
Other Word Forms
- harbourer noun
- harbourless adjective
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.
Poole Harbour is the largest natural harbour in Europe and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its ecological importance.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
Sri Lanka is providing safe harbour for the ship and its crew of 219.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
Photographs showed sailors in crisp whites and a grey frigate gliding in the sea harbour on a clear day.
From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026
One south Yangon gas station was shut, with a handwritten notice telling customers fuel tankers were queueing to dock in the harbour and "petrol sales are suspended until they arrive".
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
So when the ship docked at the harbour in Piraeus, on the outskirts of Athens, Piper resisted the urge to breathe a sigh of relief.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
