Noun

ports

1. Plural form of port.

Anagrams

• sport

Danish

Noun

ports c.

1. Genitive singular indefinite of port.

A port is a facility for receiving ships and transferring cargo. They are usually found at the edge of an ocean, sea, river, or lake. Ports often have cargo-handling equipment such as cranes (operated by longshoremen) and forklifts for use in loading/unloading of ships, which may be provided by private interests or public bodies. Often, canneries or other processing facilities will be located near by. Harbour pilots and tugboats are often used to maneuver large ships in tight quarters as they approach and leave the docks. Ports which handle international traffic have customs facilities.

A prerequisite for a port is a deep harbor, of sufficient depth to receive ships.

Ports sometimes fall out of use. Rye, East Sussex was an important English port in the Middle Ages, but the coastline changed and it is now 2 miles (3.2 km) from the sea, while the ports of Ravenspurn and Dunwich have been lost to coastal erosion. Also in the UK, London, on the River Thames, and Manchester, on the Manchester Ship Canal, were once important international ports, but changes in shipping methods, such as the use of containers and larger ships, put them at a disadvantage.