harbor

1 of 2

noun

har·bor ˈhär-bər

plural harbors

Synonyms of harbor next

: a place of security and comfort : refuge

the … Loyalists found harbor in the same areas—

W. G. Hardy

: 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

: to give shelter or refuge to

harboring a fugitive

: to be the home or habitat of

The ledges still harbor rattlesnakes.

broadly : contain sense 2

a town that harbors several textile factories

: to hold especially persistently in the mind : cherish

harbored a grudge

intransitive verb

: to take shelter in or as if in a harbor

ships harboring in the bay

: live

parasites that harbor in the blood

harborer

ˈhär-bər-ər

noun

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Noun

Remain in port, seek safe harbor, alter course, and/or secure the vessel for severe conditions. —

Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 The atypical wind direction can pose a specific risk for boats and maritime infrastructure, as harbors that are usually well protected on the leeward side of the Channel Islands are suddenly exposed to forceful gusts and waves. —

Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024

Verb

Indeed, many citizens now harbor doubts about the competence of state officials to uphold democracy. —

Jenna Bednar, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024 Based in New York City, the museum harbors a wide collection that spans international history. —

R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for harbor

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of harbor was in the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Harbor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harbor. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

harbor

1 of 2 noun

har·bor ˈhär-bər

: a place of safety and comfort : refuge

: 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

: to give shelter to

harbor an escaped convict

: to hold a thought or feeling of

harbor a grudge

: 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

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

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

may not harbor a dog without a permit

harborer noun

Last Updated: 22 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

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harbor

noun

verb

Synonyms

Examples of harbor in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near harbor

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

Legal Definition