harbor

The word “harbor” means a sheltered area of water where ships can dock or anchor safely. In plain terms, a sheltered dock for ships, or (as a verb) to secretly shelter someone or hold onto a feeling.

“Harbor” is pronounced HAH-buh (/ˈhɑɹbɚ/ in IPA).

Here is “harbor” used in a sentence: “The fishing boats returned to the harbor just before the storm hit.”

Depending on how it is used, “harbor” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “harbor” comes from Old English. From Old English herebeorg ("shelter, lodgings"), from roots meaning "army" and "protection" — literally a safe place for a group to camp.

“Harbor” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Harbor” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a sheltered area of water where ships can dock or anchor safely.

They are the same word with different spellings: "harbor" is the American spelling and "harbour" is the British and Commonwealth spelling. Both refer to a sheltered area of water where ships can dock or anchor safely.

A harbor is a sheltered stretch of water where ships can anchor safely, while a port is a harbor that also has commercial facilities such as docks, cranes, and terminals for cargo and passengers. Every port needs a harbor, but not every harbor is a port.

A harbor is specifically a sheltered body of water for ships, while a haven is any place of safety or refuge, which may or may not involve water. "Haven" is often used figuratively, as in "a safe haven."