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
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.
Greenpeace added that bottom trawling could leave harbour porpoises, external, marine mammals which are found all over the UK's coast, with low fish stocks to feed on.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
"For too long, Sydney has looked towards the harbour and the CBD. What this does is turn it around to where people live, to where jobs occur, to where investment occurs in western Sydney."
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
Prime Minister Mark Carney has pitched Canada as a "safe harbour" for some of the world's largest investors to spend their money in an era of geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
"We know how important St Aubin's Bay is to many islanders and are committed to balancing the safe operation of the harbour with protecting the character and environment of the bay."
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Outside the harbour on this side there rises for about half a mile a great reef, the sharp edge of which runs straight out from behind the south lighthouse.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
