Harbor

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈhɑːbə/

Definitions

1. A sheltered body of water where ships and boats can dock safely, protected from waves and storms
2. A natural or artificial area providing a safe mooring for vessels ; to provide protection or refuge to someone or something ; to hold onto a secret idea or emotion without expressing it
3. A water area shielded from rough conditions where boats can stay safely ; to offer sanctuary or protection from danger ; to secretly maintain an emotion or belief within oneself

Etymology: The word's most striking story is that its first sense had nothing to do with water. Old English "herebeorg" meant shelter, lodgings or quarters, and its parts were "here", army or host, and "beorg", protection or refuge. A harbor was originally a place where an army could be housed or defended, and only later did the sense narrow to a safe spot for ships. The spelling we use now came from a later shift. Middle English "herberwe" and "herber" kept the older form, but the final syllable was reshaped by analogy with the Anglo-Norman and Old French "-our" ending, the same ending found in "honour" and "labour". That change explains the modern "harbor" spelling, and the British "harbour" retains the French-influenced look. The verb came from the same root. Middle English "herberwen" and "herbere" were formed from the older noun, and the verb meant to take up quarters or lodge. Like the noun, it moved from lodging toward the idea of sheltering, which is how a harbor came to mean a refuge for ships.

Synonyms: port, dock, haven, bay, shelter

Antonyms: desert, open sea, exile, abandonment