harbor

1 of 2

noun

har·​bor ˈhär-bər 

plural harbors

1

: a place of security and comfort : refuge

the … Loyalists found harbor in the same areas

—W. G. Hardy

2

: a part of a body of water protected and deep enough to furnish anchorage

a yacht harbor

especially : one with port facilities

harborful

ˈhär-bər-ˌfu̇l 

noun

harborless

ˈhär-bər-ləs 

adjective

harbor

2 of 2

verb

harbored; harboring ˈhär-b(ə-)riŋ  ; harbors

transitive verb

1

a

: to give shelter or refuge to

harboring a fugitive

b

: to be the home or habitat of

The ledges still harbor rattlesnakes.

broadly : contain sense 2

a town that harbors several textile factories

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

ships harboring in the bay

2

: live

parasites that harbor in the blood

harborer

ˈhär-bər-ər 

noun

Synonyms

Noun

• anchorage
• harborage
• haven
• port

Verb

• bear
• cherish
• entertain
• have
• hold
• nurse

Examples of harbor in a Sentence

Noun

the tanker stayed in Boston harbor three days to undergo repairs

seeking a harbor from the drenching rain, we unfortunately chose a bank where a robbery was taking place

Verb

It is illegal to harbor an escaped convict.

He still harbors deep feelings of resentment toward his former employer.

I don't harbor any illusions about our chances for success.

She studies the genetic material harbored in a cell's nucleus.

Some of these animals may harbor disease that could affect humans.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Forward Looking Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. —Charlotte Observer, 26 Apr. 2024

Much of this daily deluge of sludge and cinder was dumped in the harbor, an environmental calamity from which local marine life has never fully recovered. —Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024

One of its ships is among several currently stuck in Baltimore’s harbor. —Lea Skene, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024

Oceanside’s northernmost beaches are replenished annually, usually in the spring, with sand dredged from the channel into the city’s harbor. —Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2024

The snack bar and harbor playground will remain open. —Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024

The season is almost over, and this time of year the harbor would typically be bustling with crews preparing their vessels and gear for catching salmon. —Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024

He had been arrested in May 1863 and forced to walk hobbled by ball and chain from central L.A. to the Drum Barracks at the harbor. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024

Statistically, the experts said, such failures are more likely to happen in ports and harbors, as well as in close proximity to bridges, because that’s when the ships are under the most stress. —USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024

Verb

Grier plays Dawn's mom Athena, who takes care of her daughter and grandson (Joshua J. Williams), harbors a dark secret and has terrifying visions – including a monstrous washing machine – around the house that may or may not be real. —Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024

With a handful of games remaining, Luton still harbors a slim hope of avoiding relegation and securing a second season among the elite. —Rory Smith, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024

Enceladus, only 313 miles (504 kilometers) in diameter, harbors a liquid water ocean beneath its icy crust that spans the entire moon. —Fabian Klenner, Discover Magazine, 22 Apr. 2024

Ice sits at the poles A planet perched right at the sun’s maw shouldn’t harbor any water, let alone ice—or so researchers thought. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024

Scientists are unsure if unpasteurized or raw milk can pass along the H5N1 virus, but raw milk can harbor various germs and is associated with miscarriages, kidney failure, and death. —Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 10 Apr. 2024

From the inception of the Islamic Republic, Iran’s leadership has harbored expansive ambitions. —Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024

Despite decades of indoctrination in anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiment by their government, Iranians harbor very little hostility toward Israel. —Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2024

Ecuador’s arrest of Mr. Glas seemed a stark departure from its own willingness to harbor Mr. Assange in its embassy in London for so long. —Genevieve Glatsky, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English herberwe, herberowe, herbour, harborow "quarters, lodgings, field camp of an army, shelter for a traveler," going back to Old English herebeorg "shelter, lodgings," going back to Germanic *haribergō- (whence also Old Frisian herberge "lodging, inn," Old Saxon heriberga "army camp," Old High German heriberga, herberga "army camp, lodging for a traveler, accommodations," Old Norse herbergi "inn, room"), from *harja- "body of armed men" + *-bergō- "shelter, protection," noun derivative from the base of *bergan- "to keep safe" (whence Old English beorgan [strong verb class III] "to protect, defend, preserve," Old Saxon gibergan "to protect," Old High German bergan "to save, preserve, conceal," Old Norse bjarga "to save," Gothic bairgan "to keep, preserve"), going back to dialectal Indo-European *b^herg^h-, whence also Old Church Slavic nebrěgǫ, nebrěšti "to disregard, neglect," Czech brh "hayrick, cave, hut" (from *bĭrgŭ), Czech brah "hayrick," Polish bróg "hayrick, barn for hay" (from *borgŭ), Lithuanian bìrginti "to be sparing, not spend much," Old Irish commairce "protection, refuge" (from *ḱom-b^horg^h-i̯e-) — more at harry

Note: Middle English forms such as herboru and harborow appear to show assimilation of the second element of the compound to variants of burgh "town, fortified dwelling" (see borough). — Germanic *bergan- has been associated with *berga- "hill, mountain" (see barrow entry 1), on the assumption that a high place would be a place of refuge, though the Indo-European base underlying *berga- is *b^herǵ^h-, not *b^herg^h-. An etymon b^herǵ^h-, however, would rule out the clearly related Balto-Slavic forms, which do not have a palatovelar stop. The link could only be maintained if the Balto-Slavic base was borrowed from Germanic, but the full display of ablaut and diversification of meaning in Slavic make borrowing unlikely.

Verb

Middle English herberwen, herborewen "to lodge, give shelter to," going back to Old English herebeorgian, going back to Germanic *haribergōjan- (whence also Middle Dutch herbergen "to provide shelter for," Old High German heribergōn "to set up quarters for an army, stay as a guest," Old Norse herbergja "to shelter [a person], lodge"), derivative of *haribergō- "shelter for an armed force" — more at harbor entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing harbor

• harbor seal

Kids Definition

harbor

1 of 2 noun

har·​bor ˈhär-bər 

1

: a place of safety and comfort : refuge

2

: a part of a body of water protected and deep enough to be a place of safety for ships : port

harborless

-ləs 

adjective

harbor

2 of 2 verb

harbored; harboring -b(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to give shelter to

harbor an escaped convict

2

: to hold a thought or feeling of

harbor a grudge

3

: to take shelter in or as if in a harbor

harborer noun

Medical Definition

harbor

transitive verb

har·​bor ˈhär-bər 

: 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

Legal Definition

harbor

1 of 2 noun

har·​bor

: a place of security and comfort see also safe harbor

harbor

2 of 2 transitive verb

1

: to receive secretly and conceal (a fugitive from justice)

2

: to have (an animal) in one's keeping

may not harbor a dog without a permit

harborer noun