English Explanatory Dictionary

port

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A place on the coast at which ships can shelter, or dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.
  2. A town or city containing such a place, a port city.
  3. The left-hand side of a vessel, including aircraft, when one is facing the front. Used to unambiguously refer to directions relative to the vessel structure, rather than to a person or object on board.
  4. A sweep rower that primarily rows with an oar on the port side.
adj
  1. Of or relating to port, the left-hand side of a vessel when facing the bow.
verb
  1. To turn or put to the left or larboard side of a ship; said of the helm.
  2. To dock at a port.
noun
  1. An entryway or gate.
  2. An opening or doorway in the side of a ship, especially for boarding or loading; an embrasure through which a cannon may be discharged; a porthole.
  3. A small medical appliance installed beneath the skin, connected to a vein by a catheter, and used to inject drugs or to draw blood samples.
  4. A narrow opening between other players' bowls or stones wide enough for a delivered bowl or stone to pass through.
  5. An opening where a connection (such as with a pipe) is made.
  6. An opening with a valve seat such that a valve can control the flow of fluid through the opening.
  7. A logical or physical construct in and from which data are transferred. Computer port on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
  8. A female connector of an electronic device, into which a cable's male connector can be inserted.
  9. A number that delimits a connection for specific processes or parts of a network service.
verb
  1. To carry, bear, bring, or transport. See porter.
  2. To hold or carry (a weapon) with both hands so that it lies diagonally across the front of the body, with the barrel or similar part near the left shoulder and the right hand grasping the small of the stock; or, to throw (the weapon) into this position on command.
  3. To adapt, modify, or recode to work on a different platform.
  4. To carry or transfer (an existing telephone number) from one service provider to another.
  5. To transfer a voucher or subsidy from one jurisdiction to another.
noun
  1. Something used to carry a thing, especially a frame for wicks in candle-making.
  2. The manner in which a person carries himself; bearing; deportment; carriage. See also portance.
  3. The position of a weapon when ported; a rifle position executed by throwing the weapon diagonally across the front of the body, with the right hand grasping the small of the stock and the barrel sloping upward and crossing the point of the left shoulder.
  4. A program that has been adapted, modified, or recoded so that it works on a different platform; the act of this adapting.
  5. A set of files used to build and install a binary executable file from the source code of an application.
noun
  1. A type of very sweet fortified wine, mostly dark red, traditionally made in Portugal.
noun
  1. A suitcase or schoolbag.
noun
  1. The portfolio of a model or artist.
name
  1. Archaic form of Porto: a city in Portugal.
  2. A surname.
name
  1. University of Portsmouth, used especially following post-nominal letters indicating status as a graduate.
name
  1. Ellipsis of Port Adelaide Football Club.
name
  1. Ellipsis of Port Macquarie.
name
  1. Portugal, used on maps to indicate territories or possessions
name
  1. Abbreviation of Public Order Response Team.

Pronunciation

/pɔːt/ En-uk-a port.ogg /pɔɹt/ En-us-port.ogg /po(ː)ɹt/ /poət/ En-au-port.ogg

Word forms

port ports porting ported

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per- Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Indo-European *pértusder. Proto-Italic *portus Latin portusbor. Old English port English port From Old English port, borrowed from Latin portus (“port, harbour”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pértus (“crossing”) (and thus a distant doublet of ford). The directional sense, attested since at least the 1500s, derives from ancient vessels with the steering oar on the right (see etymology of starboard), which therefore had to moor with their left sides facing the dock or wharf. Doublet of fjard, fjord, firth, ford, and Portus.

Synonyms

harbour haven harbour city harbour town port city backboard larboard leeboard left wick Porto port wine

Antonyms

starboard

Related words

port de bras

Derived words

Nouns aëroport airport any port in a storm aport Burtonport carport container port cosmoport dry port Earthport Eastport establishment of the port first port of call free port girl in every port half-port heliport helm-port helm port home port homeport hoverport jetport joyport lakeport Lewisporte Lockeport megaport miniport moonport multiport nonport Oldport outport passport port authority porthouse port knocking portland portlet Portman portmaster portmote port of call port of entry port of registry portpass portsale portside raft port river port riverport Saint Peter Port seaport secondary port shuttleport skyport Southport spaceport
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