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 passengers2obsolete : the bank of a river or the shore of the sea