harbor
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harbor¹
- /ˈhɑːbə/ UK
- /ˈhɑɹbɚ/ Canada, US
Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)bə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Middle English herberwe, herber, from Old English herebeorg (“shelter, lodgings, quarters”), from Proto-West Germanic *harjabergu (“army shelter, refuge”), from *harjaz (“army”) + *bergō (“protection”), equivalent to Old English here (“army, host”) + beorg (“defense, protection, refuge”). The final syllable was subsequently altered by analogy with the Anglo‐Norman and Old French suffix -or (as seen in loanwords like honour and labour). Doublet of albergo and auberge. See also borrow, bury, harbinger, harry and here.
noun harbors · harbour · harborough · herborough · harborow
- Any place of shelter. The neighborhood is a well-known harbor for petty thieves.
- A sheltered expanse of water, adjacent to land, in which ships may anchor or dock, especially for loading and unloading. [T]here aboutes dwelt greate multitudes of people half wilde, hiding thẽſelues in caues of the grounde, of ſmall ſtature, and very fearefull, for as ſoone as they ſawe them they fled into their holes, and that there was a great riuer and very good harborough.
- A mixing box for materials.
- A house of the zodiac, or the mansion of a heavenly body.
- Shelter, refuge.
harbor²
- /ˈhɑːbə/ UK
- /ˈhɑɹbɚ/ Canada, US
Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)bə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Middle English herberwen, herbere (later harboure), from Old English herebeorgian (“to take up one's quarters, lodge”), from the noun (see above).
verb harbors · harboring · harbored · harbour · harborough
- To provide a harbor or safe place for. The docks, which once harbored tall ships, now harbor only petty thieves.
- To take refuge or shelter in a protected expanse of water. The fleet harbored in the south.
- To drive (a hunted stag) to covert. This is the time that the horseman are flung out, not having the cry to lead them to the death. When quadruped animals of the venery or hunting kind are at rest, the stag is said to be harboured, the buck lodged, the fox kennelled, the badger earthed, the otter vented or watched, the hare formed, an
- To hold or persistently entertain in one's thoughts or mind. She harbors a conviction that her husband has a secret, criminal past.
Harbor³
Where it comes from
English surname, variant of Harbour.
proper noun Harbors
- A surname, variant of Harbour.
- A census-designated place in Curry County, Oregon, United States.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: harbour, haven, seaport, shield, hold, nurse, entertain, port, pier, terminal, carrying, sheltering, shelter, postage, wearing, augmentation
Translations
Every language
noun place of shelter
| Español | puerto, refugio |
|---|---|
| Português | albergue |
| Français | havre, rade, refuge |
| Română | adăpost, refugiu |
| Русский | убе́жище ubéžišče, приста́нище pristánišče, кров krov |
noun for ships
| Español | puerto |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 항구 hanggu |
| 日本語 | 港 minato, ハーバー hābā |
| 中文 | 海港 hǎigǎng, 港 gǎng, 港口 gǎngkǒu |
| हिन्दी | बंदरगाह bandargāh, पोर्ट porṭ |
| Kiswahili | bandari |
| Português | porto, cais |
| Français | port, quai |
| Deutsch | Hafen |
| Italiano | porto |
| Ελληνικά | λιμάνι limáni |
| Română | port |
| Русский | га́вань gávanʹ, порт port |
| Tiếng Việt | hải cảng, cảng |
| العربية | مَرْفَأ marfaʔ, مَرْسَى marsā, مِينَاء mīnāʔ |
| עברית | נָמֵל namél |
Talk about this word "harbor." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/harbor. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. harbor. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/harbor "harbor." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/harbor.Cite this
@misc{harbor_2026,
title = {harbor},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/harbor},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
