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
• pier
• quay

Examples of wharf in a Sentence

tied the rowboat up at the wharf

Recent Examples on the Web

The base includes six wharves—each approximately 755 feet long—capable of accommodating up to 12 submarines. —Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025

Past the Heritage Project buildings the road curves around to the right and down to the ferry wharf. —Robert Finch june 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025

Three workers inspecting the wharf fell into the choppy ocean waves as the end of the wharf broke in two. —Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2024

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

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