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harbor

A harbor is a safe place providing refuge and comfort. If you're traveling, the harbor provided by a warm hotel is welcome. For ships, a harbor is a sheltered port area shielded from waves, where it's safe to dock.

Harbor can also be used as a verb, which describes maintaining a belief or a feeling. If you harbor ill-will toward your neighbor John, you don't like him much. Harbor can also mean you hold back your ideas and don't express them openly. John may have no idea you hate him if you harbor your true feelings deep inside, but pretend you like him to his face.

DEFINITIONS OF: harbor

1

n a sheltered port where ships can take on or discharge cargo

Synonyms:
harbour, haven, seaport
Examples:
Caesarea
an ancient seaport in northwestern Israel; an important Roman city in ancient Palestine
Pearl Harbor
a harbor on Oahu to the west of Honolulu; location of a United States naval base that was attacked by the Japanese on 7 Dec 1941
Boston Harbor
the seaport at Boston
Types:
coaling station
a seaport where ships can take on supplies of coal
port of call
any port where a ship stops except its home port
Type of:
port
a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country

n a place of refuge and comfort and security

Synonyms:
harbour
Type of:
asylum, refuge, sanctuary
a shelter from danger or hardship

v secretly shelter (as of fugitives or criminals)

Synonyms:
harbour
Type of:
shelter
provide shelter for

v keep in one's possession; of animals

Synonyms:
harbour
Type of:
hold on, keep
retain possession of

v maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)

harbor a resentment”
Synonyms:
entertain, harbour, hold, nurse
Type of:
experience, feel
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

v hold back a thought or feeling about

“She is harboring a grudge against him”
Synonyms:
harbour, shield
Type of:
conceal, hide
prevent from being seen or discovered
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