harbor

1 of 2

noun

har·​bor ˈhär-bər 

plural harbors

1

: a place of security and comfort : refuge

the … Loyalists found harbor in the same areas

—W. G. Hardy

2

: a part of a body of water protected and deep enough to furnish anchorage

a yacht harbor

especially : one with port facilities

harborful

ˈhär-bər-ˌfu̇l 

noun

harborless

ˈhär-bər-ləs 

adjective

harbor

2 of 2

verb

harbored; harboring ˈhär-b(ə-)riŋ  ; harbors

transitive verb

1

a

: to give shelter or refuge to

harboring a fugitive

b

: to be the home or habitat of

The ledges still harbor rattlesnakes.

broadly : contain sense 2

a town that harbors several textile factories

2

: to hold especially persistently in the mind : cherish

harbored a grudge

intransitive verb

1

: to take shelter in or as if in a harbor

ships harboring in the bay

2

: live

parasites that harbor in the blood

harborer

ˈhär-bər-ər 

noun

Synonyms

Noun

• port
• anchorage

Verb

• have
• hold

Examples of harbor in a Sentence

Noun

the tanker stayed in Boston harbor three days to undergo repairs

seeking a harbor from the drenching rain, we unfortunately chose a bank where a robbery was taking place

Verb

It is illegal to harbor an escaped convict.

He still harbors deep feelings of resentment toward his former employer.

I don't harbor any illusions about our chances for success.

She studies the genetic material harbored in a cell's nucleus.

Some of these animals may harbor disease that could affect humans.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Hansen and Jim Miller ran the harbor’s merchant association together, and for Kalez, Miller and his daughter, Meredith, are family. —Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 28 June 2025

Safe harbors defining diversification, transparency, and education requirements could help, but sponsors may need fiduciary liability insurance until regulations clarify. —Brian Menickella, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

Verb

All of these environments can harbor bacteria and viruses that cling to the wheels, handles, and fabric. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 2025

Just west of the colorful Punda district, this city park was constructed to pay homage to one of the Caribbean’s most crucial—and vulnerable—ecosystems, with plenty of dense mangrove thickets that harbor all sorts of indigenous species. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English herberwe, herberowe, herbour, harborow "quarters, lodgings, field camp of an army, shelter for a traveler," going back to Old English herebeorg "shelter, lodgings," going back to Germanic *haribergō- (whence also Old Frisian herberge "lodging, inn," Old Saxon heriberga "army camp," Old High German heriberga, herberga "army camp, lodging for a traveler, accommodations," Old Norse herbergi "inn, room"), from *harja- "body of armed men" + *-bergō- "shelter, protection," noun derivative from the base of *bergan- "to keep safe" (whence Old English beorgan [strong verb class III] "to protect, defend, preserve," Old Saxon gibergan "to protect," Old High German bergan "to save, preserve, conceal," Old Norse bjarga "to save," Gothic bairgan "to keep, preserve"), going back to dialectal Indo-European *b^herg^h-, whence also Old Church Slavic nebrěgǫ, nebrěšti "to disregard, neglect," Czech brh "hayrick, cave, hut" (from *bĭrgŭ), Czech brah "hayrick," Polish bróg "hayrick, barn for hay" (from *borgŭ), Lithuanian bìrginti "to be sparing, not spend much," Old Irish commairce "protection, refuge" (from *ḱom-b^horg^h-i̯e-) — more at harry

Note: Middle English forms such as herboru and harborow appear to show assimilation of the second element of the compound to variants of burgh "town, fortified dwelling" (see borough). — Germanic *bergan- has been associated with *berga- "hill, mountain" (see barrow entry 1), on the assumption that a high place would be a place of refuge, though the Indo-European base underlying *berga- is *b^herǵ^h-, not *b^herg^h-. An etymon b^herǵ^h-, however, would rule out the clearly related Balto-Slavic forms, which do not have a palatovelar stop. The link could only be maintained if the Balto-Slavic base was borrowed from Germanic, but the full display of ablaut and diversification of meaning in Slavic make borrowing unlikely.

Verb

Middle English herberwen, herborewen "to lodge, give shelter to," going back to Old English herebeorgian, going back to Germanic *haribergōjan- (whence also Middle Dutch herbergen "to provide shelter for," Old High German heribergōn "to set up quarters for an army, stay as a guest," Old Norse herbergja "to shelter [a person], lodge"), derivative of *haribergō- "shelter for an armed force" — more at harbor entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing harbor

• harbor seal

Rhymes for harbor

• arbor
• arbour
• harbour

Kids Definition

harbor

1 of 2 noun

har·​bor ˈhär-bər 

1

: a place of safety and comfort : refuge

2

: a part of a body of water protected and deep enough to be a place of safety for ships : port

harborless

-ləs 

adjective

harbor

2 of 2 verb

harbored; harboring -b(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to give shelter to

harbor an escaped convict

2

: to hold a thought or feeling of

harbor a grudge

3

: to take shelter in or as if in a harbor

harborer noun

Medical Definition

harbor

transitive verb

har·​bor ˈhär-bər 

: to contain or be the home, habitat, or host of

those who harbor the gene for the illness

—William Booth

green monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops) may have harbored the ancestor of the AIDS virus

—R. C. Gallo

Legal Definition

harbor

1 of 2 noun

har·​bor

: a place of security and comfort see also safe harbor

harbor

2 of 2 transitive verb

1

: to receive secretly and conceal (a fugitive from justice)

2

: to have (an animal) in one's keeping

may not harbor a dog without a permit

harborer noun