berth
/bəːθ
/noun
1A ship’s allotted place at a wharf or dock: the vessel had left its berth...
- And although discussions are still ongoing, Scotland Yard today refused to rule out a mooring berth for the container-like ship off the coast.
- We will now provide two finger wharves with 20 public berths and you'll see a total revamp.
- The total quay length measures 2630m and the port offers 11 commercial shipping berths, a repair quay and a drydock.
Synonyms
docking site, anchorage, mooring
2A fixed bunk on a ship, train, or other means of transport: I’ll sleep in the upper berth [in combination]: a four-berth caravan...
- It's rough being in the upper berth in a two-story train.
- There are overweight ones who shudder at the thought of having to sleep on an upper berth in a train.
- Check the sleeping arrangements carefully: There's usually a mix of larger cabins with full beds and tiny compartments with upper and lower berths.
Synonyms
bunk, bed, bunk bed, cot, couch, hammock;
sleeping quarters, sleeping accommodation, cabin, compartment, billet
informal sack
British informal pit
Scottish informal kip
3 informal (Often in a sporting context) a position in an organization or event: he looked at home in an unfamiliar right-back berth...
- The six gymnasts who competed on each event earned their berths at the semi-final competition held two weeks ago.
- India also would be looking for a victory to book a berth in the finals as their final match is against Sri Lanka.
- As she got used to the testing conditions, she pushed through to the third and final qualifying position, denying her opponent of a semi-final berth.
verb [with object]
1Moor (a ship) in its allotted place: they planned to berth HMS Impregnable at Portsmouth...
- However, this is a canal basin with a few barges on it, not a yachting marina where you berth a boat ready to sail.
- Presently it is difficult to locate a mooring to berth a boat for the night, let alone find one to tie to while diving.
- The Port Authority said it had to choose between berthing its own ferries and the cruise ship.
1.1 [no object] (Of a ship) dock: the ship berthed at Plymouth...
- Having originally left the harbour on Sunday, February 16, the ship berthed in Florida at the Maritime Museum's dock.
- Both of the children, agreeing their day was much better than being at school, spent several hours on the ship receiving a tour and lunch before the ship berthed.
- The 21,000-ton ship berthed at Greenwich to commemorate the new affiliation between Illustrious and the City of London.
Synonyms
dock, moor, land, tie up, make fast
2(Of a passenger ship) provide a sleeping place for (someone).Many of the passengers were berthed in the aircraft hangars, and although the hangar doors had been welded shut to give them some security, nothing could be done in a tempest like this to make anyone feel safe....
- Passengers are berthed in Staterooms, on the forward Main Deck on all steamers, except "Columbia" and "Astoria," on which they are situated in after part of Spar and Main Decks.
- We were berthed in the forward hold in tiers of hammocks.
Synonyms
accommodate, sleep, provide beds for, put up, house, shelter, lodge
Phrases
give someone/thing a wide berth
Origin
Early 17th century (in the sense 'adequate sea room'): probably from a nautical use of bear1 + -th2.
When we give someone a wide berth, or stay away from them, we are using a nautical expression. Berth shares a root with bear, ‘to carry’. Originally, in the early 17th century, it meant ‘sea room’, or space to turn or manoeuvre. It developed the sense ‘a ship's allotted place at a wharf or dock’, and could also mean the place where seamen stowed their chests, then later the space where the sailors themselves slept.