berth
pronunciation
How to pronounce berth in British English:
UK [bɜ:θ]
How to pronounce berth in American English:
US [bɜrθ]
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- Noun:
- a job in an organization
- a place where a craft can be made fast
- a bed on a ship or train; usually in tiers
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- Verb:
- provide with a berth
- secure in or as if in a berth or dock
- come into or dock at a wharf
Word Origin
- berth
- berth: [17] Like birth, berth appears to be based on the verb bear, although it is a separate and much later formation. At first it meant ‘safe manoeuvring distance at sea’ (from which we get the metaphorical ‘give a wide berth to’); this seems to have come from the nautical sense of bear ‘steer in a particular direction’ as in bear away (from which we get bear down on, as well as more general applications, such as ‘bear left’). This led, via ‘convenient space for a ship to moor’, to, in the 18th century, the more familiar modern senses ‘sleeping place on a ship’ and ‘job, situation (originally on board ship)’.=> bear, birth
- berth (n.)
- 1620s, "convenient sea room" (both for ships and sailors), of uncertain origin, probably from bear (v.) + abstract noun suffix -th (2) as in strength, health, etc. Original sense is preserved in phrase to give (something or someone) wide berth. Meaning "place on a ship to stow chests, room for sailors" is from 1706; extended to non-nautical situations by 1778.
- berth (v.)
- 1660s, of ships, from berth (n.). Of persons (intransitive), from 1886. Related: Berthed; berthing.
Example
- 1. Your train , coach and berth number will be printed on your ticket .
- 2. In 2006 , when apm terminals took over , there were shanty towns in the port and vessels had to wait 30 days to berth .
- 3. It will defer not just a major project at the solomon hub iron-ore site but also a new export berth at herb elliott port .
- 4. A japanese military ship to berth next week at a chinese port for the first time since 1945 .
- 5. Like all budget carriers , airasia wants to pare costs , which is why it refuses to berth its planes at klia 's expensive glass-and-steel terminal .