berth

1 of 2

noun

1
a
nautical : sufficient distance for maneuvering a ship
Keep a clear berth of the shoals.
b
: an amount of distance maintained for safety
give the fire a wide berth
giving him a wide berth until he is in a better mood
2
a
: the place where a ship lies when at anchor or at a wharf
was docked at her usual berth
b
: a space for an automotive vehicle at rest
a truck-loading berth
3
: a place to sit or sleep especially on a ship or vehicle : accommodation
a comfortable cabin with a deep berth
an upper berth
4
a
: a billet (see billet entry 1 sense 2a) on a ship
waiting for a berth as a ship's surgeonBernard Keelan
b
: job, position, place
a starting berth on the team

berth

2 of 2

verb

berthed; berthing; berths

transitive verb

1
: to bring (something, such as a ship or automotive vehicle) into a berth
The ship was berthed at this pier.
2
: to allot quarters or accommodations to : to allot a berth to
a place to berth the crew

intransitive verb

: to come into a berth
where the ship typically berths

Examples of berth in a Sentence

Noun a comfortable cabin with a deep berth He has a starting berth on the all-star team. Verb The ship was berthed at this pier. The ship berthed at this pier.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Reuters — Plumber by day, breakdancer by night, Cheung Cheuk Man was disappointed to miss out on an Olympic berth when breaking makes its debut at the Paris Games, but the Hong Kong B-boy hopes to help develop the city’s next wave of talent in the dance sport. Reuters, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 The reality is the Lakers remain on life support for a play-in berth. Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 The top six teams in each conference will secure automatic playoff berths while the next four teams will have to fight their way in through the play-in tournament. Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 In a 2-2-1-1 format, the ACC and Big 12 could very well receive just one bid (the AQ), because their No. 2 teams would compete annually in a battle royal for at-large berths against the Big Ten and SEC bluebloods, not to mention Notre Dame. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 Fewer filmmakers are taking big creative swings on the kinds of movies that have global reach not because of streaming platforms, but due to prestigious festival berths and critical buzz. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 2 Mar. 2024 But the nitty-gritty smelled of nothing more than a cash grab, with the Big Ten and SEC requesting three automatic berths each, or almost half the bracket. Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2024 The past two tourneys have seen four bids for the Mountain West — and quick losses by everyone except the Aztecs — and the Broncos are going for their third straight berth. Jim Keyser, Idaho Statesman, 18 Feb. 2024 Shanahan just completed his seventh season, having guided the 49ers to their second Super Bowl appearance and fourth playoff berth in five years. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024
Verb
When the terminal opened, Royal Caribbean berthed the Allure of the Seas, a 225-ton, 6,700-passenger ship, at the new terminal. John Wayne Ferguson, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Dec. 2023 Pleasure boats were neatly berthed across from us at a private mooring spot. John Kelly, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2023 For those who seek something out of the ordinary as a full-time home, a weekend getaway, or maybe even an art studio or workspace, one of the four floating homes berthed in Santa Barbara Harbor is now available to an iconoclast buyer for $4.9 million. Mark David, Robb Report, 20 Sep. 2023 And thanks to its many canals and beaches, Lee County is a haven for those seeking idyllic waterfront views and a calm spot to berth their boat. Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 4 June 2023 When not deployed, the USS Cooperstown will be berthed in Mayport, FL. Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 6 May 2023 Guillet planned to convert the ship into a floating dormitory for college students, but finding a place to berth the warehouse-size vessel proved too expensive. Curbed, 21 Jan. 2022 So, visibility to a container on land moving by rail or truck matters more than visibility to when a ship will berth. Steve Banker, Forbes, 17 May 2022 Smaller tankers could berth alongside it to access its oil. The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'berth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English birth, probably from beren to bear + -th

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1667, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of berth was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near berth

Cite this Entry

“Berth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/berth. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

berth

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: enough room to maneuver a ship
b
: a safe distance
give it wide berth
2
: a place where a ship lies at anchor or at a wharf
3
: a place to sleep on a ship or train
4

berth

2 of 2 verb
: to bring or come into a berth

More from Merriam-Webster on berth

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