HARBOR

harbor, harbour

(noun) a place of refuge and comfort and security

seaport, haven, harbor, harbour

(noun) a sheltered port where ships can take on or discharge cargo

harbor, harbour, hold, entertain, nurse

(verb) maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings); “bear a grudge”; “entertain interesting notions”; “harbor a resentment”

harbor, harbour, shield

(verb) hold back a thought or feeling about; “She is harboring a grudge against him”

harbor, harbour

(verb) keep in one’s possession; of animals

harbor, harbour

(verb) secretly shelter (as of fugitives or criminals)

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Proper noun

Harbor (plural Harbors)

A surname.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Harbor is the 22450th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 1146 individuals. Harbor is most common among Black/African American (50.87%) and White (42.15%) individuals.

Etymology 1

Noun

harbor (countable and uncountable, plural harbors) (American spelling)

(countable) Any place of shelter.

(countable, nautical) A sheltered expanse of water, adjacent to land, in which ships may anchor or dock, especially for loading and unloading.

(countable, glassworking) A mixing box for materials.

(obsolete, countable) A house of the zodiac, or the mansion of a heavenly body.

(obsolete, uncountable) Shelter, refuge.

Etymology 2

Verb

harbor (third-person singular simple present harbors, present participle harboring, simple past and past participle harbored) (American spelling)

(transitive) To provide a harbor or safe place for.

(intransitive) To take refuge or shelter in a protected expanse of water.

(transitive) To drive (a hunted stag) to covert.

(transitive) To hold or persistently entertain in one's thoughts or mind.

Source: Wiktionary


Har"bor, n. [Written also harbour.] Etym: [OE herbor, herberwe, herberge, Icel. herbergi (cf. OHG. heriberga), orig., a shelter for soldiers; herr army + bjarga to save, help, defend; akin to AS. here army, G. heer, OHG. heri, Goth. harjis, and AS. beorgan to save, shelter, defend, G. bergen. See Harry, 2d Bury, and cf. Harbinger.]

1. A station for rest and entertainment; a place of security and comfort; a refuge; a shelter. [A grove] fair harbour that them seems. Spenser. For harbor at a thousand doors they knocked. Dryden.

2. Specif.: A lodging place; an inn. [Obs.] Chaucer.

3. (Astrol.)

Definition: The mansion of a heavenly body. [Obs.]

4. A portion of a sea, a lake, or other large body of water, either landlocked or artificially protected so as to be a place of safety for vessels in stormy weather; a port or haven.

5. (Glass Works)

Definition: A mixing box materials. Harbor dues (Naut.), fees paid for the use of a harbor.

– Harbor seal (Zoöl.), the common seal.

– Harbor watch, a watch set when a vessel is in port; an anchor watch.

Har"bor, v. t. [Written also harbour.] [imp. & p. p. Harbored; p. pr. & vb. n. Harboring.] Etym: [OE. herberen, herberwen, herbergen; cf. Icel. herbergja. See Harbor, n.]

Definition: To afford lodging to; to enter as guest; to receive; to give a refuge to; indulge or cherish (a thought or feeling, esp. an ill thought). Any place that harbors men. Shak. The bare suspicion made it treason to harbor the person suspected. Bp. Burnet. Let not your gentle breast harbor one thought of outrage. Rowe.

Har"bor, v. i.

Definition: To lodge, or abide for a time; to take shelter, as in a harbor. For this night let's harbor here in York. Shak.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

27 February 2025

SUMMIT

(verb) reach the summit (of a mountain); “They breasted the mountain”; “Many mountaineers go up Mt. Everest but not all summit”


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Coffee Trivia

Decaffeinated coffee is not caffeine-free. Studies from the National Institute of Health (US) have shown that virtually all decaf coffee types contain caffeine. A 236-ml (8-oz) cup of decaf coffee contains up to 7 mg of caffeine, whereas a regular cup provided 70-140 mg.

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