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har·bor

(härbər)

1. A sheltered part of a body of water deep enough to provide anchorage for ships.

2. A place of shelter; a refuge.

tr.v. har·bored, har·bor·ing, har·bors

1. To give shelter to: harbor refugees; harbor a fugitive.

2. To provide a place, home, or habitat for: a basement that harbors a maze of pipes; streams that harbor trout and bass.

3. To entertain or nourish (a specified thought or feeling): harbor a grudge.

[Middle English herberwe, probably from Old English herebeorg, lodging; see koro- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

harbor·er n.

(click for a larger image)

harbor

harbor at Avalon on

Santa Catalina Island,

California

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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