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 surgeon—
Bernard Keelan
Bernard Keelan
berthed; berthing; berths
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
: to come into a berth
where the ship typically berths
Synonyms
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 WebAnthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024
The Suns remained one game behind the Suns for the No. 6 seed and an automatic playoff berth.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 13 Apr. 2024
Securing one of the 68 spots in NCAA tournament can be done, too, although it’s been 12 years since the Aztecs earned a berth.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2024
Devgn stars as Syed Abdul Rahim, whose revolutionary coaching and strategy methods led the Indian national soccer team to gold medals in the 1951 and 1962 Asian Games and a semi-final berth at the 1956 Olympics.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024
That left an automatic bid as their only hope: To earn a March Madness berth, N.C.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
State will face familiar ACC foe Duke on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. in Dallas (CBS) for a Final Four berth.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2024
Remember when all those ships were steaming back and forth in front of Los Angeles, waiting for a berth?
—Paul Krugman, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
The Detroit Red Wings clinch their 20th straight playoff berth with a 4-3 victory over Nashville.
—Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
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
Noun
Just one more Heat win would have led to a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference and an automatic playoff berth.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024
The Suns remained one game behind the Suns for the No. 6 seed and an automatic playoff berth.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 13 Apr. 2024
Securing one of the 68 spots in NCAA tournament can be done, too, although it’s been 12 years since the Aztecs earned a berth.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2024
Devgn stars as Syed Abdul Rahim, whose revolutionary coaching and strategy methods led the Indian national soccer team to gold medals in the 1951 and 1962 Asian Games and a semi-final berth at the 1956 Olympics.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024
That left an automatic bid as their only hope: To earn a March Madness berth, N.C.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
State will face familiar ACC foe Duke on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. in Dallas (CBS) for a Final Four berth.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2024
Remember when all those ships were steaming back and forth in front of Los Angeles, waiting for a berth?
—Paul Krugman, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
The Detroit Red Wings clinch their 20th straight playoff berth with a 4-3 victory over Nashville.
—Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Verb
It’s located in Piraeus, the port of Athens, where ancient travelers would often arrive and where the Athenian fleet was built and berthed in the days of Pericles to rule the empire.
—Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
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
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.
Dictionary Entries Near berth
Cite this Entry
“Berth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/berth. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
berth
1 of 2 noun1
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
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