I. dock 1 /dɒk $ dɑːk/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Middle Dutch ; Origin: docke ]
1 . [countable] a place in a port where ships are loaded, unloaded, or repaired ⇨ dry dock :
A crowd was waiting at the dock to greet them.
in dock
The ship is in dock for repairs.
2 . the docks [plural] the area of a port where there are docks:
James arrived at the docks expecting to see a luxury liner.
3 . [countable] American English a ↑ jetty
4 . the dock the part of a law court where the person who is charged with a crime stands
in the dock
Three defendants stood in the dock.
5 . in the dock especially British English thought to have done something dishonest, harmful, or wrong:
These chemicals remain in the dock until we have more scientific evidence.
6 . [uncountable and countable] a plant with thick green leaves that grows wild in Britain:
a dock leaf
7 . [countable] a piece of equipment that connects a ↑ portable media player to a computer, television etc
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ port noun [uncountable and countable] a place where ships can be loaded and unloaded:
a busy port
|
We’ll have two days ashore while the ship is in port.
|
The ferry was about to leave port.
▪ harbour British English , harbor American English noun [countable] an area of water next to the land which is protected by walls so the water is calm, and is a place where ships can stay when they are not sailing:
They sailed into Portsmouth Harbour
|
Tourist boats leave the harbour at Riva regularly.
|
the harbour wall
▪ dock [uncountable and countable] a place in a port where ships are loaded, unloaded, or repaired:
A crowd was waiting at the dock to greet them.
|
The ship was in dock for repairs.
▪ pier a structure that is built over and into the water so that boats can stop next to it or people can walk along it:
The yacht was moored at a pier.
▪ jetty noun [countable] a wall or platform built out into the water, used for getting on and off boats:
a wooden jetty
|
The house has a private jetty.
▪ mooring noun [countable] the place where a ship or boat is fastened to the land or to the bottom of the sea:
Tugs towed the boat away from its mooring at White Bay.
▪ marina noun [countable] a harbour where people keep boats which are used for pleasure:
They are building a new 220-berth marina.
|
The apartments have a private marina.
II. dock 2 BrE AmE verb
[ Sense 1,3-4: Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: ⇨ ↑ dock 1 ]
[ Sense 2,5: Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: Probably from Old English docca 'muscle' ]
1 . SHIPS [intransitive and transitive] if a ship docks, or if the captain docks it, it sails into a dock so that it can unload
dock at/in
We docked at Rangoon the next morning.
2 . dock sb’s wages/pay/salary to reduce the amount of money you pay someone as a punishment:
The company has threatened to dock the officers’ pay.
3 . COMPUTERS [transitive] to connect two computers using an electrical wire
dock something to/into/with something
Users can dock a laptop to their desktop setup.
4 . SPACECRAFT [intransitive + with] if two spacecraft dock, they join together in space
5 . ANIMALS [transitive] to cut an animal’s tail short