wharf

noun

ˈ(h)wȯrf 

plural wharves ˈ(h)wȯrvz  also wharfs

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

Synonyms

• dock
• float
• jetty
• landing
• levee
• pier
• quai
• quay

Examples of wharf in a Sentence

tied the rowboat up at the wharf

Recent Examples on the Web

At the ferry wharf the road splits three ways: the left road takes me to the eastern part of the town, known as Hollett’s Cove; straight ahead is the highway to Eastport, the nearest town of any size, paved only a few years before. —Robert Finch june 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025

It was announced that the recovered had been taken to the next wharf over, and there was her father among them, his face blank with shock. —Jim Shepard, New Yorker, 8 June 2025

City officials hope the signs, fencing, orange safety barriers and exposed wooden decking at the end of the wharf will be gone by early next year. —Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025

The wharf has more than 4,400 wooden pilings, made of Douglas Fir. —Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 24 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for wharf

• dwarf
• morph
• orf
• polymorph

Kids Definition

wharf

noun

ˈhwȯrf 

ˈwȯrf

plural wharves ˈhwȯrvz 

ˈwȯrvz

also wharfs

: a structure built on the shore at which ships can load and unload