harbor

¹har·bor

noun \ˈhär-bər\

Definition of HARBOR

1

: a place of security and comfort : refuge

2

: a part of a body of water protected and deep enough to furnish anchorage; especially : one with port facilities

— har·bor·ful \-ˌfu̇l\ noun

— har·bor·less \-ləs\ adjective

Examples of HARBOR

1. <the tanker stayed in Boston harbor three days to undergo repairs>
2. <seeking a harbor from the drenching rain, we unfortunately chose a bank where a robbery was taking place>

Origin of HARBOR

Middle English herberge, herberwe, from Old English herebeorg military quarters, from here army (akin to Old High German heri) + beorg refuge; akin to Old English burg fortified town — more at harry, borough

First Known Use: 12th century

Related to HARBOR

Synonyms

anchorage, harborage, haven, port

Related Words

basin, dock, marina, moorage, mooring; arm, bay, bight, cove, creek [chiefly British], embayment, estuary, firth, fjord (also fiord), gulf, inlet, lagoon, loch [Scottish], lough [chiefly Irish], narrow, roads, roadstead; canal, channel, sound, strait; containerport, home port, seaport

Other Nautical Terms

avast, aweigh, flotsam, jib, keel, lee, port, starboard, stay

Rhymes with HARBOR

arbor, barber

²harbor

verb

har·boredhar·bor·ing \-b(ə-)riŋ\

Definition of HARBOR

transitive verb

1

a : to give shelter or refuge to

b : to be the home or habitat of <the ledges still harbor rattlesnakes>; broadly : contain 2

2

: to hold especially persistently in the mind : cherish <harbored a grudge>

intransitive verb

1

: to take shelter in or as if in a harbor

2

: live

— har·bor·er \-bər-ər\ noun

Examples of HARBOR

1. It is illegal to harbor an escaped convict.
2. He still harbors deep feelings of resentment toward his former employer.
3. I don't harbor any illusions about our chances for success.
4. She studies the genetic material harbored in a cell's nucleus.
5. Some of these animals may harbor disease that could affect humans.

First Known Use of HARBOR

12th century

Related to HARBOR

Synonyms

bear, cherish, entertain, have, hold, nurse, hang on to, hold on to

Related Words

cultivate, foster, nurture, support, sustain; carry, keep, maintain, preserve, remember, retain, treasure; cleave (to), cling (to), hug, stick (to); brood (about or over), fixate (on or upon), obsess (about or over)

Near Antonyms

disregard, drop, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook; abjure, decline, deny, disdain, refuse, reject, repudiate, scorn; abandon, desert, discard, forsake, give up, part (with), quit, renounce, throw out; erase, expunge

har·bor

transitive verb \ˈhär-bər\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of HARBOR

: to contain or be the home, habitat, or host of <those who harbor the gene for the illness—William Booth> <green monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops) may have harbored the ancestor of the AIDS virus—R. C. Gallo>