harbor
noun
har·bor
| \ ˈhär-bər
\
\
Definition of harbor
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a place of security and comfort : refuge
the … Loyalists found harbor in the same areas— W. G. Hardy
2
: a part of a body of water protected and deep enough to furnish anchorage
a yacht harbor
especially
: one with port facilities
harbor
verb
harbored;
harboring\ ˈhär-b(ə-)riŋ
\
\
Definition of harbor (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
: to give shelter or refuge to
harboring a fugitive
b
: to be the home or habitat of
The ledges still harbor rattlesnakes.
broadly
: contain sense 2
a town that harbors several textile factories
2
: to hold especially persistently in the mind : cherish
harbored a grudge
1
: to take shelter in or as if in a harbor
ships harboring in the bay
2
: live
parasites that harbor in the blood
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Other Words from harbor
Noun
harborful
\ ˈhär-bər-ˌfu̇l
\
noun
\
noun
harborless
\ ˈhär-bər-ləs
\
adjective
\
adjective
Verb
harborer
\ ˈhär-bər-ər
\
noun
\
noun
Synonyms for harbor
Synonyms: Noun
anchorage, harborage, haven, port
Synonyms: Verb
bear, cherish, entertain, have, hold, nurse
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Examples of harbor in a Sentence
Noun
the tanker stayed in Boston harbor three days to undergo repairs seeking a harbor from the drenching rain, we unfortunately chose a bank where a robbery was taking placeVerb
It is illegal to harbor an escaped convict. He still harbors deep feelings of resentment toward his former employer. I don't harbor any illusions about our chances for success. She studies the genetic material harbored in a cell's nucleus. Some of these animals may harbor disease that could affect humans.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The Japanese yen and Swiss franc, long safe harbors, advanced. — oregonlive.com, "Just how bad was Monday’s stock market drop?," 5 Aug. 2019 Only a few newspapers have arrived at the safe harbor of bringing in more absolute revenue from digital than print. — Marc Tracy, New York Times, "A Paradox at the Heart of the Newspaper Crisis," 1 Aug. 2019 On the North Shore’s most scenic harbor, on a foggy Wednesday morning, Ecklund welcomed six kids aboard the 50-foot Hjordis, the two-masted schooner owned by the North House Folk School. — John Myers, Twin Cities, "Grand Marais folk school turns kids into Lake Superior sailors," 27 July 2019 The snug, picturesque harbor is too far up the Damariscotta River to accommodate towering cruise ships. — Walter Nicklin, Washington Post, "For a real taste of Midcoast Maine as it was — and should be — head to Damariscotta," 27 June 2019 Cleveland and Lorain harbors have been good spots for catching a wide range of fish, from walleye to crappie and yellow perch, rock bass and smallmouth and largemouth bass. — D'arcy Egan, cleveland.com, "If you aren’t catching walleye on Lake Erie, you aren’t trying: June 14 Fishing Report," 14 June 2019 An undetermined volume of sewage leaked from a pipe at the state's largest wastewater treatment plant early Saturday and flowed into the Kinnickinnic River at the inner harbor, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District officials said Monday. — Don Behm, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Untreated sewage leaks from Jones Island into Kinnickinnic River and Milwaukee harbor," 12 Feb. 2018 After emigrating from Nicaragua in 1992, Samuel Talavera Jr. drove a truck at the Los Angeles harbor and made an honest living. — The Courier-Journal, "OH SNAP!," 16 June 2017 Shark Movers: Deadly Cargo (Nat Geo at 10) Scientists remove bull sharks from the harbor of Noumea and relocate them to a coral reef away from humans. — Savannah Stephens, Washington Post, "Tonight on TV: ‘Queer Eye’ is back in Kansas City for its fourth season, etc.," 19 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
And Emmanuel’s Maya, an American political speechwriter, harbors a terminal attraction to inappropriate men. — Kathryn Shattuck, New York Times, "After ‘Game of Thrones,’ Nathalie Emmanuel Is Ready to Take the Lead," 9 Aug. 2019 But in 2014, a study found the placenta harbors bacteria similar to those in our mouths—suggesting some microbes can pass from the mother’s mouth into her blood, and from there, into the fetus. — Juanita Bawagan, Science | AAAS, "Babies get critical gut bacteria from their mother at birth, placenta study suggests," 31 July 2019 Manson had harbored dreams of music stardom and befriended many in the industry, including Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson, who in 1968 let the cult leader and his followers stay at Wilson’s Los Angeles house and helped Manson to record an album. — Alejandro De La Garza, Time, "The True Story Behind Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood," 26 July 2019 There are innumerable other details and what-ifs the Angels are processing, hopes and dreams that Skaggs harbored and only they and his closest friends and family know. — Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, "A decade after Nick Adenhart, death of Angels' Tyler Skaggs a tragic reminder of grief's permanence," 1 July 2019 And as these playoffs demonstrated, the most malleable and effective rosters harbor a seemingly endless surplus of two-way wings. — The Crossover Staff, SI.com, "NBA Draft Debate: Which Wing Would You Draft First?," 11 June 2018 If left on the ground, these old leaves and fruit can harbor diseases and serve as a continuing source of infection on the plant. — Dan Gill, NOLA.com, "How to keep insects, weeds and diseases out of your South Louisiana garden," 24 May 2018 By assisting these refugees, Olivares was technically defying U.S. immigration law, which prohibits anyone from knowingly harboring an undocumented immigrant. — Mario Garcia, The Conversation, "More Central American migrants take shelter in churches, recalling 1980s sanctuary movement," 30 July 2019 While still many years away from reality for patients – and no guarantee due to the incredible challenges associated with the brain – Neuralink implants harbor promise for people with spinal injuries or other serious neurological disorders. — Nathan Bomey, USA TODAY, "Elon Musk touts brain implant technology to treat health conditions, enable 'telepathy'," 17 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'harbor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for harbor
harbor
noun
English Language Learners Definition of harbor
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a part of the ocean, a lake, etc., that is next to land and that is protected and deep enough to provide safety for ships