berth

verb

berthed; berthing; berths

transitive verb

1

: to bring (something, such as a ship or automotive vehicle) into a berth

The ship was berthed at this pier.

2

: to allot quarters or accommodations to : to allot a berth to

a place to berth the crew

intransitive verb

: to come into a berth

where the ship typically berths

Examples of berth in a Sentence

The ship was berthed at this pier.

The ship berthed at this pier.

Recent Examples on the Web

La Spezia, a city near Cinque Terre, offers two marinas for very big boats—Porto Mirabello, which can berth yachts up to 140 meters, and Porto Lotti, over 100 meters. —Catherine Sabino, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

The tanker is scheduled to berth at the company's offshore mooring facility later Friday to unload its crude oil. —ABC News, 7 May 2026

Flight controllers on the ground will next take control of the arm to berth the Cygnus on the Earth-facing port of the station's Unity Node 1 for unloading. —Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 13 Apr. 2026

Each needs to be berthed, unloaded and reloaded, refueled and repositioned as well as piloted in and out of a complex harbor. —Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing berth

• give (someone or something) a wide berth

Rhymes for berth

• birth
• dearth
• earth
• firth
• girth
• mirth
• worth
• afterbirth
• childbirth
• rebirth
• stillbirth
• tamworth

Kids Definition

berth

1 of 2 noun

ˈbərth 

1

a

: enough room to maneuver a ship

b

: a safe distance

give it wide berth

2

: a place where a ship lies at anchor or at a wharf

3

: a place to sleep on a ship or train

4

: job sense 3, position

berth

2 of 2 verb

: to bring or come into a berth