port

port

I

port¹ W2 /pɔːt $ pɔːrt/ noun1.  WHERE SHIPS STOP  [uncountable and countable] a place where ships can be loaded and unloaded
    be in port
    We’ll have two days ashore while the ship is in port.
    come into port/leave port
    The ferry was about to leave port.
2.  TOWN  [countable] a town or city with a harbour or docks where ships can be loaded or unloaded:
    Britain’s largest port
3.  COMPUTER  [countable] a part of a computer where you can connect another piece of equipment, such as a printer
4.  WINE  [uncountable] strong sweet Portuguese wine that is usually drunk after a meal:
    a glass of port
5.  SIDE OF SHIP  [uncountable] the left side of a ship or aircraft when you are looking towards the front
   OPP  starboard:
    on the port side
    to port
    The plane tilted to port.
6. any port in a storm spoken used to say that you should take whatever help you can when you are in trouble, even if it has some disadvantages
⇨ port of call
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meanings 1 & 2)

■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + port
   ▪ a busy port Hong Kong is one of the world’s busiest ports.
   ▪ a major/important port The city became a major port.
   ▪ a bustling port (=very busy) Until the 1870s, Port Albert was a bustling port.
   ▪ a fishing port The town is Iceland's biggest fishing port.
   ▪ a container port (=for ships carrying large containers) Hamburg is one of Europe's main container ports.
   ▪ a ferry port (=for boats carrying people or goods across a narrow area of water) Dover is an important ferry port.
■ verbs
   ▪ be in port Many shops remain open on a Sunday, especially if cruise ships are in port.
   ▪ come into port We stood on the quay and watched the ships come into port.
   ▪ leave port Two fishing boats were preparing to leave port.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ port noun [uncountable and countable] a place where ships can be loaded and unloaded: a busy port | We’ll have two days ashore while the ship is in port. | The ferry was about to leave port.
   ▪ harbour British English, harbor American English noun [countable] an area of water next to the land which is protected by walls so the water is calm, and is a place where ships can stay when they are not sailing: They sailed into Portsmouth Harbour | Tourist boats leave the harbour at Riva regularly. | the harbour wall
   ▪ dock [uncountable and countable] a place in a port where ships are loaded, unloaded, or repaired: A crowd was waiting at the dock to greet them. | The ship was in dock for repairs.
   ▪ pier a structure that is built over and into the water so that boats can stop next to it or people can walk along it: The yacht was moored at a pier.
   ▪ jetty noun [countable] a wall or platform built out into the water, used for getting on and off boats: a wooden jetty | The house has a private jetty.
   ▪ mooring noun [countable] the place where a ship or boat is fastened to the land or to the bottom of the sea: Tugs towed the boat away from its mooring at White Bay.
   ▪ marina noun [countable] a harbour where people keep boats which are used for pleasure: They are building a new 220-berth marina. | The apartments have a private marina.

II

port² verb [transitive]
to move software from one computer system to another
    port something from/to something
    Can Windows applications be ported to Unix?
—porting noun [uncountable]