harbor

noun har·bor \ ˈhär-bər \

Updated on: 28 Nov 2017

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

Dotcom's lawyers have been insisting that a judge should examine the criminality of secondary copyright infringement and also regard safe harbors for internet service providers in coming to a conclusion about whether he's been properly indicted.

— eriq gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, "U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Review Kim Dotcom Case," 2 Oct. 2017
North Point Lighthouse: Public tours of maritime and lighthouse museum including tower with views of the harbor, 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

— elaine rewolinski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Home and Garden events," 26 Oct. 2017
To The Pathe Archives: Here are the relief efforts underway in 1916 for the victims of the huge explosion in the harbor of Halifax, Nova Scotia, which is right there on the edge of Big Water, Ocean Water.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "There Are 2 Things to Be Thrilled About in the Latest NCAA Scandal," 29 Sep. 2017
As the curtain rises, Anna arrives in the harbor of Bangkok aboard a boat.

— matthew j. palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Siam never looked lovelier than in this 'King and I'," 12 Sep. 2017
On the island of St. Thomas, power lines and towers were toppled, leaves were stripped off plants and trees, a water and sewage treatment plant was heavily damaged and the harbor was in ruins, along with hundreds of homes and dozens of businesses.

— desmond boylan, The Seattle Times, "As Irma spins, Cuba evacuates, Floridians empty stores," 8 Sep. 2017
This suggests water was flowing into the harbor from a wide variety of lead pipes, crafted from leads of different ages and provenances.

— annalee newitz, Ars Technica, "Plumbing discovery reveals the rise and fall of the Roman Empire," 1 Sep. 2017
Freshfields in December will move into a glass skyscraper in Hong Kong East, another urban district of high-rise buildings across the harbor.

— art patnaude, WSJ, "Big Law Firm to Hong Kong: Office Rent Is Too Darn High," 4 July 2017
The Ilse Crawford–designed Matsalen is perhaps the most beautiful restaurant in the world—even without its extraordinary setting across the busy harbor from the Royal Palace.

— andrew ferren, ELLE Decor, "ELLE DECOR Goes to Stockholm," 3 May 2010

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

Back in his home library, her grandfather harbors his own sense of ambivalence, though for different reasons.

— fred weir, The Christian Science Monitor, "One family’s divergent views of the Bolshevik revolution tell a tale of Russia’s complicated past – and present," 5 Nov. 2017
Maybe some, but not all, rodents that harbor disease are active at night.

— mark johnson, jsonline.com, "Can math be used to predict an outbreak?," 2 Nov. 2017
No hard feelings were harbored by the 21-year-old British actor against his friend and brother for taking a video.

— alexia fernandez, PEOPLE.com, "WATCH: Tom Holland’s Spidey Senses Take a Hit After He Had His Wisdom Tooth Removed," 25 Oct. 2017
The tops of aisle seats are likely harboring germs from every person who walks by them and holds on for support, according to Zimring — and many of those people have just come from the bathroom.

— julia zorthian, Fortune, "These Are the Dirtiest Spots on Airplanes," 23 Oct. 2017
Empires have flourished by possessing gold, wars have been fought to control regions harboring rich deposits of the metal and treasure hunters and explorers have spent a lifetime in search of it.

— puja bhattacharjee, CNN, "The psychology of gold and why it has that allure," 13 Oct. 2017
But once the war games began and the Russian military and its Belarusan allies began targeting their imaginary foes, the fears harbored by Lukashenko's opponents about Russian intentions suddenly seemed very real.

— david filipov, Washington Post, "Here’s what pro-democracy activists in Belarus fear most about Russia’s war games," 16 Sep. 2017
Not long after, Cassini spotted enormous geysers erupting from fissures at the south pole of tiny Enceladus, an icy moon harboring a hidden, global ocean.

— nadia drake, National Geographic, "How NASA's Cassini Spacecraft Will Meet Its Fiery End," 7 Sep. 2017
Allen, who worked in the Lake County Sheriff's Department internal affairs division, harbored hopes of running for sheriff in 1994, but the indictment dashed his plan.

— carole carlson, Post-Tribune, "Clemmons Allen Jr., former Gary councilman, dies," 7 Sep. 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

Recent Examples of harbor from the Web

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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