HARBOR


Meaning of HARBOR in English

I. har ‧ bour 1 BrE AmE British English , harbor American English /ˈhɑːbə $ ˈhɑːrbər/ noun [countable]

an area of water next to the land where the water is calm, so that ships are safe when they are inside it ⇨ bay :

as they sailed into Portsmouth Harbour

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THESAURUS

▪ port noun [uncountable and countable] a place where ships can be loaded and unloaded:

a busy port

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We’ll have two days ashore while the ship is in port.

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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

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Tourist boats leave the harbour at Riva regularly.

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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.

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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

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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.

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The apartments have a private marina.

II. harbour 2 BrE AmE British English , harbor American English verb [transitive]

1 . to keep bad thoughts, fears, or hopes in your mind for a long time:

I think he’s harbouring some sort of grudge against me.

She began to harbour doubts over the wisdom of their journey.

2 . to contain something, especially something hidden and dangerous:

Sinks and draining boards can harbour germs.

3 . to protect and hide criminals that the police are searching for

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THESAURUS

▪ protect to keep someone or something safe from harm, damage, or illness:

Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.

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The government wants to protect the environment.

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Eating healthily helps to protect against many diseases.

▪ give/offer/provide protection to protect someone from something harmful:

Wearing a hat offers some protection from the sun.

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The drug can give protection against cancer.

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The law provides no protection.

▪ guard to protect a person, place, or object by staying near them and watching them:

Police officers guarded the entrance to the building.

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He is guarded by armed men.

▪ save to protect someone or something when they are in danger of being harmed or destroyed:

Local people are fighting to save the theatre from demolition.

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Emergency aid could save millions of people who are threatened with starvation.

▪ preserve to keep something, especially buildings or the environment, from being harmed, destroyed, or changed too much:

The organization works to preserve forests.

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There is little money for preserving historic buildings.

▪ safeguard to protect something important, such as people’s rights, interests, jobs, health etc:

The deal will safeguard 200 jobs at the factory.

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Laws should do more to safeguard the rights of victims.

▪ shield to put something in front of something else to protect it. Also used to talk about protecting people from unpleasant situations:

He lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the light.

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They thought the public should be shielded from the truth.

▪ shelter to provide a place where someone or something is protected from the weather or from danger:

The village is sheltered by a belt of trees.

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His family had sheltered Jews during the war.

▪ harbour British English , harbor American English to help and protect someone who has done something illegal, and prevent the police from finding them:

He is accused of harbouring suspected terrorists.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.