port¹

[pawrt, pohrt] /pɔrt, poʊrt/

noun

a city, town, or other place where ships load or unload.

a place along a coast in which ships may take refuge from storms; harbor.

Also called port of entry. Law. any place where persons and merchandise are allowed to pass, by water or land, into and out of a country and where customs officers are stationed to inspect or appraise imported goods.

a geographical area that forms a harbor:

the largest port on the eastern seaboard.

Informal. an airport.

Origin

before 900; Middle English, Old English < Latin portus harbor, haven; akin to ford

Related forms

portless, adjective

Synonyms

2. anchorage. See harbor.

port²

[pawrt, pohrt] /pɔrt, poʊrt/

noun

the left-hand side of a vessel or aircraft, facing forward.

adjective

pertaining to or designating port.

located on the left side of a vessel or aircraft.

verb (used with object), verb (used without object)

to turn or shift to the port, or left, side.

Origin

1570-80; special use of port⁴

port³

[pawrt, pohrt] /pɔrt, poʊrt/

noun

any of a class of very sweet wines, mostly dark-red, originally from Portugal.

Origin

1695-95; earlier Oporto, (Port) O Port < Portuguese Oporto Oporto, the main port of shipment for the wines of Portugal

port⁴

[pawrt, pohrt] /pɔrt, poʊrt/

noun

an opening in the side or other exterior part of a ship for admitting air and light or for taking on cargo.

Compare porthole (def 1).

Machinery. an aperture in the surface of a cylinder, for the passage of steam, air, water, etc.

a small aperture in an armored vehicle, aircraft, or fortification through which a gun can be fired or a camera directed.

Computers. a data connection in a computer to which a peripheral device or a transmission line from a remote terminal can be attached.

the raised center portion on a bit for horses.

Chiefly Scot. a gate or portal, as to a town or fortress.

verb (used with object)

Computers. to create a new version of (an application program) to run on a different hardware platform (sometimes followed by over).

Origin

before 950; Middle English, Old English < Latin porta gate; akin to portus port¹

port⁵

[pawrt, pohrt] /pɔrt, poʊrt/

verb (used with object)

Military. to carry (a rifle or other weapon) with both hands, in a slanting direction across the front of the body, with the barrel or like part near the left shoulder.

noun

Military. the position of a rifle or other weapon when ported.

Archaic. manner of bearing oneself; carriage or deportment.

Origin

1560-70; < French porter < Latin portāre to carry; see fare

Examples from the web for ports

To meet the demands of the marketplace and modern lifestyles, producers are offering more consumer-and restaurant-friendly ports.
Fistfights between the two groups became common on roads leading from the main rail heads and ports.
Chambers seems at home in each column, and in many ports.
Describes the role tugboats play in towing barges and guiding larger ships into ports.
Typhoons and other forms of extreme weather are scaring away tourists and giving large cargo ships reasons to seek other ports.
First, ports are often not well suited to manage the sheer size of offshore turbines.
Many other ancient ports around the world have become landlocked as sea levels have been dropping.
Foreign vessels rarely use these for lights, and not a single fire has occurred in them at our cotton ports.
Key support from the unions represented in the ports was lacking, and coverage by the national media was underwhelming.
All observation ports will have to be equipped with light filters.

British Dictionary definitions for ports

port¹

/pɔːt/

noun

a town or place alongside navigable water with facilities for the loading and unloading of ships

See port of entry

Word Origin

Old English, from Latin portus harbour, port

port²

/pɔːt/

noun

Also called (formerly) larboard

the left side of an aircraft or vessel when facing the nose or bow
(as modifier): the port bow Compare starboard (sense 1)

verb

to turn or be turned towards the port

Word Origin

C17: origin uncertain

port³

/pɔːt/

noun

a sweet fortified dessert wine

Word Origin

C17: after Oporto, Portugal, from where it came originally

port⁴

/pɔːt/

noun

(nautical)

an opening in the side of a ship, fitted with a watertight door, for access to the holds
See porthole (sense 1)

a small opening in a wall, armoured vehicle, etc, for firing through

an aperture, esp one controlled by a valve, by which fluid enters or leaves the cylinder head of an engine, compressor, etc

(electronics) a logic circuit for the input and ouput of data

(mainly Scot) a gate or portal in a town or fortress

Word Origin

Old English, from Latin porta gate

port⁵

/pɔːt/

verb

(transitive) to carry (a rifle, etc) in a position diagonally across the body with the muzzle near the left shoulder

noun

this position

Word Origin

C14: from Old French, from porter to carry, from Latin portāre

port⁶

/pɔːt/

verb

(transitive) (computing) to change (programs) from one system to another

Word Origin

C20: probably from port4

port⁷

/pɔːt/

noun

(Austral) (esp in Queensland) a suitcase or school case

Word Origin

C20: shortened from portmanteau

Word Origin and History for ports

port

"harbor," Old English port "harbor, haven," reinforced by Old French port "harbor, port; mountain pass;" Old English and Old French words both from Latin portus "port, harbor," originally "entrance, passage," figuratively "place of refuge, assylum," from PIE *prtu- "a going, a passage," from root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over" (cf. Sanskrit parayati "carries over;" Greek poros "journey, passage, way," peirein "to pierce, run through;" Latin porta "gate, door," portare "passage," peritus "experienced;" Avestan peretush "passage, ford, bridge;" Armenian hordan "go forward;" Welsh rhyd "ford;" Old Church Slavonic pariti "to fly;" Old English faran "to go, journey," Old Norse fjörðr "inlet, estuary").

Meaning "left side of a ship" (looking forward from the stern) is attested from 1540s, from notion of "the side facing the harbor" (when a ship is docked). It replaced larboard in common usage to avoid confusion with starboard; officially so by Admiralty order of 1844 and U.S. Navy Department notice of 1846. Figurative sense "place of refuge" is attested from early 15c.; phrase any port in a storm first recorded 1749. A port of call (1810) is one paid a scheduled visit by a ship.

"gateway," Old English port "portal, door, gate, entrance," from Old French porte "gate, entrance," from Latin porta "city gate, gate; door, entrance," from PIE root *per- (see port (n.1)). Specific meaning "porthole, opening in the side of a ship" is attested from c.1300.

"bearing, mien," c.1300, from Old French port, from porter "to carry," from Latin portare (see port (n.1)).

type of sweet dark-red wine, 1690s, shortened from Oporto, city in northwest Portugal from which the wine originally was shipped to England; from O Porto "the port;" (see port (n.1)).

"to carry," from Middle French porter, from Latin portare "to carry" (see port (n.1)). Related: Ported; porting.

ports in Science

port

(pôrt)

An opening, as in a cylinder or valve face, for the passage of steam or fluid.
A place where data can pass into or out of a central processing unit, computer, or peripheral. With central processing units, a port is a fixed set of connections for incoming and outgoing data or instructions. With computers and peripherals, a port is generally a socket into which a connector can be plugged.

Idioms and Phrases with ports

port

see: any port in a storm