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Definition of port noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

port

noun
 
 
/pɔːt/
 
/pɔːrt/
Idioms
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  1.  
     [countable] a town or city with a harbour, especially one where ships load and unload goods
    • a container/fishing port
    • Rotterdam is a major port.
    • the port city of Gdansk
    • the Black Sea ports
    Extra Examples
    • a port city/​town
    • the German port of Kiel
    Topics Transport by waterb1, Geographyb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • bustling
    • busy
    • major
    • …
    verb + port
    • come into
    • enter
    • reach
    • …
    port + noun
    • area
    • city
    • town
    • …
    preposition
    • in port
    • into port
    phrases
    • a port of call
    • a port of entry
    See full entry
  2.  
     [countable, uncountable]
    (abbreviation Pt.)
    a place where ships load and unload goods or shelter from storms
    • a naval port
    • a container/ferry port
    • in/into port The ship spent four days in port.
    • They reached port at last.
    • port of entry (= a place where people or goods can enter a country)
    • the port authorities
    see also airport, free port, heliport, seaport
    Extra Examples
    • She tried to steer the boat into port.
    • There was a spontaneous welcome for anyone who put into port on the island.
    Topics Geographyb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • bustling
    • busy
    • major
    • …
    verb + port
    • come into
    • enter
    • reach
    • …
    port + noun
    • area
    • city
    • town
    • …
    preposition
    • in port
    • into port
    phrases
    • a port of call
    • a port of entry
    See full entry
  3. (also port wine)
     [uncountable] a strong sweet wine, usually dark red, that is made in Portugal. It is usually drunk at the end of a meal. see also tawny portTopics Drinksc2
  4. [countable] a glass of port
  5. [uncountable] the side of a ship or aircraft that is on the left when you are facing forward
    • the port side
    compare starboardTopics Transport by waterc2, Sports: water sportsc2
  6. [countable] (computing) a place on a computer where you can attach another piece of equipment, often using a cable
    • the modem port
    see also parallel port, serial portTopics Computersc2
    7. Word Originnoun senses 1 to 2 Old English, from Latin portus ‘haven, harbour’, reinforced in Middle English by Old French. noun senses 3 to 4 shortened form of Oporto, a major port in Portugal from which the wine is shipped. noun sense 5 mid 16th cent.: probably originally the side containing an entry port or facing the port (quayside) for loading. noun sense 6 Old English (in the sense ‘gateway’), from Latin porta ‘gate’; reinforced in Middle English by Old French porte. The later sense ‘opening in the side of a ship’ led to the general sense ‘opening’.
Idioms
any port in a storm
  1. (saying) if you are in great trouble, you take any help that is offered
See port in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee port in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: port

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adjective
 
 
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