noun
wharf
WAWF
noun
1
A structure built on a shore or riverbank where ships can dock to load and unload.
"Fishermen unloaded their catch on the wharf at dawn."
"The old wharf has been converted into a row of restaurants."
How to Use Wharf
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA dock or landing platform for ships.
Easily confused with
wharfe
Common pairings
fishing wharf
along the wharf
wharf district
Word Forms
wharfed past tense, wharves plural, wharfs plural, wharfs singular
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Fishermen unloaded their catch on the _____ at dawn.
Etymology
From Old English hwearf, originally meaning a heap or embankment, related to an old word for "turning" — likely describing the way goods were turned over at the dockside.