I. port 1 W2 /pɔːt $ pɔːrt/ BrE AmE noun
[ Sense 1-2, 6: Date: 800-900 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: portus ]
[ Sense 3: Date: 1900-2000 ; Origin: port 'ship's porthole' (13-21 centuries) , from Old French porte 'gate, door' , from Latin porta ]
[ Sense 4: Date: 1600-1700 ; Origin: Oporto , city in Portugal. ]
[ Sense 5: Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: port side , from ⇨ ↑ port (1) ; because it was the side from which ships were unloaded. ]
1 . WHERE SHIPS STOP [uncountable and countable] a place where ships can be loaded and unloaded
be in port
We’ll have two days ashore while the ship is in port.
come into port/leave port
The ferry was about to leave port.
2 . TOWN [countable] a town or city with a ↑ harbour or ↑ dock s where ships can be loaded or unloaded:
Britain’s largest port
3 . COMPUTER [countable] a part of a computer where you can connect another piece of equipment, such as a ↑ printer
4 . WINE [uncountable] strong sweet Portuguese wine that is usually drunk after a meal:
a glass of port
5 . SIDE OF SHIP [uncountable] the left side of a ship or aircraft when you are looking towards the front OPP starboard :
on the port side
to port
The plane tilted to port.
6 . any port in a storm spoken used to say that you should take whatever help you can when you are in trouble, even if it has some disadvantages
⇨ ↑ port of call
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + port
▪ a busy port
Hong Kong is one of the world’s busiest ports.
▪ a major/important port
The city became a major port.
▪ a bustling port (=very busy)
Until the 1870s, Port Albert was a bustling port.
▪ a fishing port
The town is Iceland's biggest fishing port.
▪ a container port (=for ships carrying large containers)
Hamburg is one of Europe's main container ports.
▪ a ferry port (=for boats carrying people or goods across a narrow area of water)
Dover is an important ferry port.
■ verbs
▪ be in port
Many shops remain open on a Sunday, especially if cruise ships are in port.
▪ come into port
We stood on the quay and watched the ships come into port.
▪ leave port
Two fishing boats were preparing to leave port.
• • •
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. port 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
to move software from one computer system to another
port something from/to something
Can Windows applications be ported to Unix?
—porting noun [uncountable]