dock

noun

ˈdäk 

plural docks

1

a

: a place (such as a wharf or platform) for the loading or unloading of materials

b

: a usually wooden pier used as a landing place or moorage for boats

2

or docking station : a device in which a smartphone, digital camera, etc., is placed for charging, accessing a power supply, or connecting to another electronic device

3

: a usually artificial basin or enclosure for the reception of ships that is equipped with means for controlling the water height

4

: slip entry 2 sense 1b

5

: the combining site of a molecular receptor see receptor sense b

Previous research showed that marijuana receptors, specialized proteins that serve as docks for THC, are clustered in regions of the brain known to play a role in movement disorders such as Huntington's disease.

—Kathleen Fackelmann

Synonyms of dock

• wharf
• pier
• quay

Examples of dock in a Sentence

the boat remained tied up at the dock for a week, waiting for the weather to clear

Recent Examples on the Web

Whether your summer travels involve hiking trails, exploring rocky shorelines, or navigating slippery docks, Sharkey said these Keen sport sandals are up to the task. —Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 5 June 2026

Four were fishing with cane poles from a rickety dock. —Byron W. Dalrymple, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026

The Hollywood Casino Aurora hit the Fox River in June 1993 with two riverboats offering cruises from a downtown dock every 90 minutes. —Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2026

Near the end of the night, several students reportedly made an impromptu decision to swim in the river near Dartmouth's student docks. —Corin Cesaric, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dokke, probably from Middle Dutch docke

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing dock

• dry-dock
• floating dock
• graving dock
• in the dock
• loading dock

Rhymes for dock

• balk
• baulk
• bloc
• bock
• broch
• brock
• calk
• caulk
• chalk
• chock
• clock
• cock

Kids Definition

dock

1 of 5 noun

ˈdäk 

: any of a genus of coarse weedy plants which are related to the buckwheat and some of which are cooked for food

dock

2 of 5 verb

1

: to cut off the end of : cut short

a docked tail

2

: to take away a part of : make a deduction from

3

: to deprive of something due because of a fault

was docked for being late

dock

3 of 5 noun

1

: a usually artificial basin to receive ships that has gates to control the water height

2

: slip entry 2 sense 1b

3

: a wharf or platform for loading and unloading

4

: a usually wooden pier used as a landing place or moorage

dock

4 of 5 verb

1

: to bring or come into or alongside a dock

2

: to join (as two spacecraft) mechanically while in space

dock

5 of 5 noun

: the place in a court where a prisoner stands or sits during trial

Etymology

Old English docce "the dock plant"

Middle English docken "to cut off the end of a tail," from dok, docke "end of an animal's tail"

probably from early Dutch docke "ditch, dock"

from a Dutch dialect word docke "cage"

Medical Definition

dock

1 of 2 noun

ˈdäk 

: any plant of the genus Rumex

dock

2 of 2 intransitive verb

: to combine with a molecular receptor

the AIDS virus docked at the T cell receptor

Legal Definition

dock

noun

: the place in a criminal court where a prisoner stands or sits during trial compare bar, bench, jury box, sidebar, stand

Etymology

Dutch dialect docke, dok pen, cage