Main Entry: wharf

Pronunciation: \ˈhwȯrf, ˈwȯrf\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural wharves \ˈhwȯrvz, ˈwȯrvz\ also wharfs

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hwearf embankment, wharf; akin to Old English hweorfan to turn, Old High German hwerban, Greek karpos wrist

Date: before 12th century

1 : a structure built along or at an angle from the shore of navigable waters so that ships may lie alongside to receive and discharge cargo and passengers
2 obsolete : the bank of a river or the shore of the sea