harbour
/ˈhɑːbə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɑːrbər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhɑː.bər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɑːr.bɚ/ (ame, ipa)
harbour — noun
- harboursingular
- harboursplural
1. a coastal inlet or bay where stone walls or surrounding land keep the water calm
a coastal inlet or bay where stone walls or surrounding land keep the water calm, giving ships a safe place to anchor or stay
The fishing boats returned to the harbour before the storm hit.
noun + preposition: returned to the harbour
Talia stood on the pier watching the ships enter the harbour at sunset.
The old harbour has been rebuilt to handle much larger container ships.
Samir's family lived in a small village near a natural harbour on the west coast.
During the war the harbour was protected by heavy steel nets stretched across the entrance.
- port
emphasises commercial trade or passenger terminals rather than natural shelter
- marina
a smaller harbour designed for leisure boats and yachts, with facilities like fuel and restaurants
- dock
a specific enclosed area within a harbour where ships are loaded, unloaded, or repaired
- haven
a poetic or literary term for any place of safety, not limited to waterways
- open sea
the unprotected ocean beyond the coastline
文法句型
in + harbour
into + harbour
harbour + noun (compound)
用法筆記
The US spelling is harbor. Harbour is frequently used in place names (Pearl Harbour, Sydney Harbour). Unlike a port, a harbour emphasizes natural shelter rather than commercial cargo facilities.
常見錯誤
harbour — verb
- harbourpresent simple I / you / we / they
- harbours3rd person singular
- harbouring-ing form
- harbouredpast simple
1. to keep a particular thought, feeling, or belief in your mind for a long time, e
to keep a particular thought, feeling, or belief in your mind for a long time, especially a negative one such as anger, doubt, or resentment
Obi harboured doubts about the plan but did not want to upset anyone.
harbour + doubts + about [something]
Vinícius has harboured a grudge against his cousin since the argument at the wedding.
present perfect: has harboured a grudge
Shirin never harboured any desire to leave her hometown and raise a family elsewhere.
For years the community harboured deep suspicions about the chemicals the factory was releasing.
Élise still harbours the hope that her missing cat will one day come back home.
文法句型
harbour + noun (feeling/thought)
harbour + no article + noun
用法筆記
Frequently used with negative nouns: grudge, resentment, doubt, suspicion, bitterness, hostility. Used less often with positive nouns: hope, ambition, dream. The verb is formal; in casual conversation, 'keep' or 'hold onto' is more common.
常見錯誤
2. to give shelter or protection to someone who is being chased by the police or by
to give shelter or protection to someone who is being chased by the police or by another authority, or to keep something illegal hidden
The farmer was arrested for harbouring fugitives in his barn without telling anyone.
passive: arrested for harbouring + fugitives
Ari knew that keeping the stolen jewellery meant he was legally harbouring stolen property.
harbouring stolen property — legal context
Some villagers secretly harboured the escaped prisoners despite knowing the harsh penalties for doing so.
The court found that the company had been harbouring illegal funds in offshore accounts for over a decade.
文法句型
harbour + noun (person/criminal/stolen goods)
用法筆記
Common in legal and crime-reporting contexts. The object is typically a person (fugitive, criminal, suspect) or illegal items (stolen goods, contraband). Note the distinction from sense 1: this sense involves physical concealment, not mental states.
常見錯誤
3. to contain and potentially spread harmful microorganisms such as bacteria or vir
to contain and potentially spread harmful microorganisms such as bacteria or viruses, often without showing any signs of illness oneself
Rats can harbour bacteria that cause serious diseases such as leptospirosis in humans.
harbour + bacteria that cause [disease]
Tests showed that the patient was harbouring a drug-resistant strain of the tuberculosis virus.
passive: was harbouring + strain of [virus]
Warm and damp conditions allow mould to harbour allergens that can trigger asthma attacks.
Some insects harbour parasites inside their bodies without the parasites causing obvious harm.
文法句型
harbour + noun (bacteria/virus/pathogen)
用法筆記
Distinguish from 'carry' or 'transmit'. Harbouring focuses on the presence of the microorganism within a host or substance, while 'transmit' focuses on the act of passing it to another. The host does not necessarily show symptoms.