harbor
/ˈhɑɹbɚ/
verbnoun
Common
1.v.maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)
“bear a grudge”
2.v.secretly shelter (as of fugitives or criminals)
3.v.keep in one's possession; of animals
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harbor and harbour are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. harbor means “maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)”. harbour means “secretly shelter (as of fugitives or criminals)”. harbor is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈhɑɹbɚ/
1.v.maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)
“bear a grudge”
2.v.secretly shelter (as of fugitives or criminals)
3.v.keep in one's possession; of animals
| harbor | harbour | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɑɹbɚ/ | /ˈhɑɹbɚ/ |
| Said | HAHR-bur | HAHR-bur |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 6 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | verb, noun |
| Senses | 6 | 6 |
| How common | Common | Familiar |
| Synonyms | harbour, hold, entertain | harbor |
Full entry for harbor · Full entry for harbour · More comparisons
/ˈhɑɹbɚ/
1.v.secretly shelter (as of fugitives or criminals)
2.v.keep in one's possession; of animals
3.v.hold back a thought or feeling about
“She is harboring a grudge against him”