harbor

noun har·bor \ ˈhär-bər \

Definition of harbor

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

play \ˈhär-bər-ˌfu̇l\ noun

—

harborless

play \ˈhär-bər-ləs\ adjective

See harbor defined for English-language learners

See harbor defined for kids

Examples of harbor in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of harbor from the Web

For some cheaper, Dramamine-free alternatives to whale-watching cruises, visit Dana Point. Meander down the boardwalk at the harbor, grab a seat on the sand at nearby Doheny State Beach, or take a short hike to the Dana Point Headlands.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best of LA: 92 of Our Favorite Things to Eat, Do, and Buy Right Now," 14 July 2017
Migrants wait to disembark from the NGO (Non-government organization) Medecins Sans Frontier Vos Prudence ship after being rescued at sea, at Salerno’s harbor, Italy, Friday, July 14, 2017.

— Washington Post, "Aid groups wary of proposed Italian rules on migrant rescues," 14 July 2017
Fireworks light up the sky over New York harbor as the Queen Mary 2, right, Queen Victoria, center, and Queen Elizabeth 2 rendezvous near the Statue of Liberty in this Jan. 13, 2008, file photo in New York.

— by alexandria bordas, martin vassolo and glenn garvin, miamiherald, "Are those firecrackers? Or is America falling apart on July 4?," 3 July 2017
To find out, the researchers studied drilled cores of a Roman harbor from Pozzuoli Bay near Naples, Italy.

— zahra ahmad, Science | AAAS, "Why modern mortar crumbles, but Roman concrete lasts millennia," 3 July 2017
The Ports of Indiana announced that Metro Ports is now managing the loading and unloading of shipments along the port's east harbor for both port tenants and outside companies.

— karen caffarini, Post-Tribune, "Ports of Indiana names new bulk terminal operator," 2 July 2017
Not a left turn or a right turn, explained Jocelyn Tuttle, who leads Baltimore harbor education programs for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

— scott dance, Washington Post, "Baltimore teachers get lessons in Chesapeake Bay’s challenges, recovery," 1 July 2017
Oceanside's Yankee Doodle Dinghy Parade: Boat parade starts 1 p.m. July 4 in the Oceanside Harbor at the Oceanside Yacht Club and continues on to the south end of the harbor. Decorate a patriotic dinghy 12 feet and under and enter the parade.

— linda mcintosh, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Get a big bang out of 4th of July events," 29 June 2017
Tickets include after-hours access to the exhibits, and a view of the Queen Mary fireworks display over the harbor.

— lisa beebe, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best 4th of July Fireworks Shows in Los Angeles: 2017," 29 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'harbor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of harbor

Middle English herberge, herberwe, from Old English herebeorg military quarters, from here army (akin to Old High German heri) + beorg refuge; akin to Old English burg fortified town — more at harry, borough

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 12th century

See Words from the same year

harbor Synonyms

Synonyms

anchorage, harborage, haven, port

Related Words

basin, dock, marina, moorage, mooring; arm, bay, bight, cove, creek [chiefly British], embayment, estuary, firth, fjord (also fiord), gulf, inlet, lagoon, loch [Scottish], lough [chiefly Irish], narrow, roads, roadstead; canal, channel, sound, strait; containerport, home port, seaport

Other Nautical Terms

avast, aweigh, flotsam, jib, keel, lee, port, starboard, stay

harbor

verb

Definition of harbor

harbored; harboring play \ˈhär-b(ə-)riŋ\

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 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

play \ˈhär-bər-ər\ noun

See harbor defined for English-language learners

Examples of harbor in a Sentence

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 of harbor from the Web

The Roots turned their home on Lake Naivasha in Kenya into a sort of sanctuary, harboring all sorts of animals.

— neil genzlinger, New York Times, "Alan Root, Oft-Bitten Wildlife Filmmaker, Dies at 80," 29 Aug. 2017
Far too many of our shots are being directed at Muguruza than should be the case—all of us harboring the same dream of blowing her mind with our power and pinpoint accuracy.

— corey seymour, Vogue, "Here's What Happens When You Don't Play Tennis For a Year Before Rallying With Garbiñe Muguruza," 28 Aug. 2017
The warning may have been prompted by a recent policy paper that argued that withholding financial and diplomatic support would better incentivize Pakistan to stop harboring militants.

— rosa inocencio smith, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Daily: A President and His Party," 24 Aug. 2017
Even teeny cracks can harbor bacteria, according to a review of research published in the journal Practical Gastroenterology.

— ashley oerman, Cosmopolitan, "7 Reasons You Should Never Drink Out Of Plastic Water Bottles," 22 Aug. 2017
Arya, on the other hand, has been harboring some resentment for Sansa for years—

— kayleigh roberts, Marie Claire, "This Photo Proves Arya Has a *Terrible* Memory When It Comes to Sansa Betraying Their Dad," 21 Aug. 2017
Meanwhile, those nations that have harbored known terrorists, like Saudi Arabia, were conspicuously missing from the list.

— kristal brent zook, Essence.com, "How Donald Trump's Travel Ban Attempts Have Deeply Wounded Black Families And Individuals," 18 July 2017
A career politician to end all career politicians, stuck in an impossible and thankless job, criticized by both the Left and the Right, harboring forever an unachievable dream, destined to leave politics with that dream entirely unfulfilled.

— max bloom, National Review, "The End of the Grand Bargain," 17 July 2017
Experts recommend using stainless steel bottles, which are naturally anti-bacterial and resistant to germ-harboring cracks.

— meghan overdeep, Southern Living, "The Amount of Germs in Your Water Bottle Will Ruin Your Day," 11 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of harbor

see ¹harbor

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 12th century

See Words from the same year

harbor Synonyms

Synonyms

bear, cherish, entertain, have, hold, nurse, hang on to, hold on to

Related Words

cultivate, foster, nurture, support, sustain; carry, keep, maintain, preserve, remember, retain, treasure; cleave (to), cling (to), hug, stick (to); brood (about or over), fixate (on or upon), obsess (about or over)

Near Antonyms

disregard, drop, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook; abjure, decline, deny, disdain, refuse, reject, repudiate, scorn; abandon, desert, discard, forsake, give up, part (with), quit, renounce, throw out; erase, expunge

HARBOR Defined for English Language Learners

harbor

noun

Definition of harbor for English Language Learners

: a part of the ocean, a lake, etc., that is next to land and that is protected and deep enough to provide safety for ships
: a place of safety and comfort

harbor

verb

Definition of harbor for English Language Learners

: to give shelter to (someone) : to hide and protect (someone)
: to have (something, such as a thought or feeling) in your mind for a long time
: to hold or contain (something)

HARBOR Defined for Kids

harbor

noun har·bor \ ˈhär-bər \

Definition of harbor for Students

1 :a part of a body of water (as a sea or lake) so protected as to be a place of safety for ships :port

2 :a place of safety and comfort :refuge

harbor

verb

Definition of harbor for Students

harbored; harboring

1 :to give shelter to

They harbored the escaped prisoner.

2 :to have or hold in the mind

For years she harbored the desire to travel.

Medical Dictionary

harbor

transitive verb har·bor \ ˈhär-bər \

medical Definition of harbor

: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

Law Dictionary

harbor

noun har·bor

legal Definition of harbor

:a place of security and comfort — see also safe harbor

harbor

transitive verb

legal Definition of harbor

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

Learn More about harbor

See words that rhyme with harbor Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for harbor Spanish Central: Translation of harbor Nglish: Translation of harbor for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of harbor for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about harbor

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harbor

Definition of harbor

harborful

harborless

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Examples of harbor in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of harbor

harbor Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Nautical Terms

harbor

Definition of harbor

harborer

Examples of harbor in a Sentence

Recent Examples of harbor from the Web

Origin and Etymology of harbor

harbor Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

HARBOR Defined for English Language Learners

harbor

Definition of harbor for English Language Learners

harbor

Definition of harbor for English Language Learners

HARBOR Defined for Kids

harbor

Definition of harbor for Students

harbor

Definition of harbor for Students

Medical Dictionary

harbor

medical Definition of harbor

Law Dictionary

harbor

legal Definition of harbor

harbor

legal Definition of harbor

harborer

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