harbour

[hahr-ber]

noun

Chiefly British.

1. harbor.

harbour

/ ˈhɑːbə /

noun

1. a sheltered port

2. a place of refuge or safety

verb

1. (tr) to give shelter to

   to harbour a criminal

2. (tr) to maintain secretly

   to harbour a grudge

3. to shelter (a vessel) in a harbour or (of a vessel) to seek shelter

Spelling Note

See -or ¹.

Other Word Forms

• harbourless adjective
• harbourer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of harbour¹

Old English herebeorg, from here troop, army + beorg shelter; related to Old High German heriberga hostelry, Old Norse herbergi

Example Sentences

The financial hub is famous for its dramatic skyline of sky scrapers set against a picturesque harbour, many of which are home to residents as well as as banks and commercial offices.

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A police force have confirmed the death of their "colleague and friend" whose body was found in a city centre harbour.

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Documents seen by the BBC show that several Chinese businesses have leased land and developed properties close to these sites, from undeveloped land to hotels overlooking the harbour and Palau's main airport.

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Kabul touts Iran's Chabahar port as an alternative to Pakistan's southern harbours, but Farhadi noted it is farther, costlier and hampered by US sanctions on Tehran.

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The Faroes, who were on a three-match winning run and still harboured faint hopes of qualification, had the audacity to take the lead against opponents who only needed a draw to progress.

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