Alternative spellings

• harbour (Commonwealth)

Noun

Singular harbor

Plural harbors

harbor (plural harbors)

1. A sheltered expanse of water, adjacent to land, in which ships may dock or anchor, especially for loading and unloading.

   A harbor, even if it is a little harbor, is a good thing, since adventurers come into it as well as go out, and the life in it grows strong, because it takes something from the world, and has something to give in return - Sarah Orne Jewett

2. Any place of shelter.

   The neighborhood is a well-known harbor for petty thieves.

Derived terms

• harborage
• harbormaster

• harbor seal
• safe harbor

A harbor or harbour (see spelling differences), or haven, is a place where ships may shelter from the weather or are stored. Harbors can be man-made or natural. A man-made harbor will have sea walls or breakwaters and may require dredging. A natural harbor is surrounded on most sides by land.

Harbors and ports are often confused. A port is a man-made coastal or riverine facility where boats and ships can load and unload. It may consist of quays, wharfs, jetties, piers and slipways with cranes or ramps. A port may have magazine buildings or warehouses for storage of goods and a transport system, such as railway, road transport or pipeline transport facilities for relaying goods inland.

Artificial harbors

Artificial harbors are frequently built for use as ports. The largest artificially created harbor is in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.