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.