port
port — noun
1. a coastal or riverside place used by ships for trade, travel, or shelter; it can
a coastal or riverside place used by ships for trade, travel, or shelter; it can mean the town or the harbour area itself.
Fishing boats returned to the port before the evening storm arrived.
return to port after sailing
Many families in the port earn money from ship repairs.
The train brings fresh fish from the port to the capital.
Tourists filled the port after the cruise ship came in.
- busy port
- enter port
- leave port
- port city
Grammar Patterns
at the port
leave port
arrive at port
Usage Note
This sense can name either the harbour area itself or the town around it. Compare dock or pier for a more exact place where one ship ties up.
Common Mistakes
2. a connection point on a computer or similar device for linking a cable or extern
a connection point on a computer or similar device for linking a cable or external hardware.
Plug the printer cable into the USB port on the left.
USB port with plug into
Lina's laptop has one port for headphones and one for power.
Dust inside the charging port stopped the phone from working.
The old screen used a port that this new computer lacks.
- USB port
- charging port
- serial port
- port on the back
Grammar Patterns
port for something
plug something into a port
Usage Note
Often used with a type name before it, such as USB, charging, or serial port. The subject is usually a computer, phone, screen, or similar device.
Common Mistakes
3. the side called port on a boat or plane; this is the forward-facing left.
the side called port on a boat or plane; this is the forward-facing left.
The captain pointed to port and showed us the rocky coast.
to port in a directional phrase
A red light flashed to port as the plane climbed.
Sailors moved the spare rope to port before the sharp turn.
The rescue boat stayed to port during the narrow channel crossing.
- to port
- off port
- port side
- move to port
- starboard
the right side when facing forward
Grammar Patterns
to port
on port
Usage Note
Only used for ships and aircraft, with the forward-facing direction as the reference point. Distinguish from noun/1 TOWN, which names a place for ships.
Common Mistakes
4. a sweet, strong wine from Portugal, commonly served after dinner.
a sweet, strong wine from Portugal, commonly served after dinner.
Grandpa poured a small glass of port after dinner.
glass of port after dinner
Aunt Rosa serves port with walnut cake every Christmas.
The bottle of port stayed on the table all evening.
The menu offers cheese fruit and dark red port.
- glass of port
- drink port
- dark red port
- port after dinner
- fortified wine
a wider category that includes port but also other wines
- dessert wine
describes when it is often drunk, not exactly how it is made
Grammar Patterns
glass of port
drink port
Usage Note
Usually uncountable when naming the wine in general. In ordering, people may also say a port for one serving.
5. a bag or carrying case, mainly in older use.
a bag or carrying case, mainly in older use.
The traveler kept letters and coins in a small leather port.
older object noun with leather port
In the old story the doctor carried tools in a black port.
A silver lock hung from the port at Clara's side.
The stage actor entered with a worn port full of papers.
- leather port
- carry a port
- travel port
Grammar Patterns
carry a port
in a port
Usage Note
Mainly older or literary. In modern everyday English, bag, case, or suitcase is usually clearer.
any port in a storm
idiomWhen you are in a difficult situation, you accept any help that is available.
After his car broke down, he accepted any port in a storm and stayed with a stranger.
When the company faced bankruptcy, any port in a storm meant taking loans from anyone.
port — verb
1. to adapt software so that it works on a different kind of machine or system.
to adapt software so that it works on a different kind of machine or system.
The team ported the game to phones in six months.
port + software + to a platform
Engineers ported the app from Windows to Linux last year.
A small studio ported its old puzzle game to tablets.
The company plans to port the tool before the new system launch.
- port software
- port a game
- port to Linux
- port from Windows
Grammar Patterns
port software to a system
port software from one system to another
Usage Note
The object is software, a game, an app, or code, often followed by to or from ... to .... It does not mean simply copy a file.
Common Mistakes
2. to steer a ship toward the port side by moving the helm that way.
to steer a ship toward the port side by moving the helm that way.
The helmsman ported the ship to avoid the broken pier.
port + ship in nautical use
Captain Ruiz ported the boat when a fishing net appeared ahead.
Mina ported the training yacht to pass left of the green buoy.
shows leftward steering by a buoy
The crew ported the ferry gently before entering the narrow channel.
- port the ship
- port the boat
- port the helm
- steer left
plain wording without nautical style
- turn left
general wording; less specific about moving a ship's helm
Grammar Patterns
port a ship
port the helm
Usage Note
Nautical and uncommon outside specialist writing. The object is usually a ship, boat, ferry, or helm, and the movement is specifically toward port.
port — adjective
1. on, near, or belonging to the side called port on a boat or plane.
on, near, or belonging to the side called port on a boat or plane.
A port engine warning forced the pilot to land early.
port + noun before the main noun
Sailors checked the port rail after the heavy waves hit.
The port window gave us a clear view of the island.
Crew members repainted the port door before the ferry reopened.
- port engine
- port rail
- port window
- port door
- starboard
on or toward the right side
Grammar Patterns
port engine
port door
Usage Note
Usually comes before a noun, as in port engine or port door. Distinguish from noun/3 LEFT, which names the side itself.
port — abbreviation
1. a short written form of 'portable', especially in labels, catalogs, and technica
a short written form of 'portable', especially in labels, catalogs, and technical notes.
The store sign says port fan so the model is easy to carry.
port as shorthand before a product noun
In the catalog a port speaker costs more than the desk version.
The repair note lists a port battery pack for field work.
In the catalog one model is labeled port radio for travel.
catalog label: port radio
- port fan
- port speaker
- port radio
- portable
the full form, preferred in ordinary writing
Grammar Patterns
port. + noun on a label
Usage Note
Mostly seen in labels, catalogs, and technical notes rather than full sentences. The full word portable is preferred in normal writing.
2. a short written form of 'portrait', especially for page, screen, or photo layout
a short written form of 'portrait', especially for page, screen, or photo layout.
Choose port mode before you print the phone photo.
port as layout shorthand in settings
The app saved the poster as port not landscape.
On the camera screen port means the picture is upright.
The design file was marked port for the museum banner.
- port mode
- port layout
- port photo
- portrait
the full form, used in normal prose
- landscape
describes the horizontal page or screen direction
Grammar Patterns
port. mode
port. layout
Usage Note
Usually appears in printing, camera, phone, or design settings. It contrasts with landscape.
3. a short written form of 'Portugal', used in lists, labels, forms, and similar br
a short written form of 'Portugal', used in lists, labels, forms, and similar brief writing.
The table lists Port beside Spain and France.
Port as a country abbreviation in a table
On the shipping form Port appears in the country box.
The tournament chart lists Port in Group A beside Spain.
country abbreviation in a group chart
The old export ledger shortens Portugal to Port in the country column.
country column shorthand for Portugal
- Port in a table
- country: Port
- Port label
- Portugal
the full country name, preferred in normal writing
Grammar Patterns
Port. in a table
country: Port.
Usage Note
Seen mainly in tables, forms, labels, and older shorthand. In normal prose, write Portugal in full.
Word family
- portsideadjectiveC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
For noun/1, port is the broadest everyday word for a place where ships arrive, leave, and handle cargo or passengers. Harbor usually points more to the protected water area, so a place can have a good harbor but still be a small port. Dock is narrower: it is the structure or exact area where a ship ties up, not the whole town or harbour system. Terminal is more modern and functional, often used for the building or zone for ferries, cruises, or containers. Seaport stresses that the place is on the sea, not on a river. Example: 'The cargo ship reached the port at dawn, then moved to the dock.'
Etymology
Modern English port brings together more than one history. The harbour sense comes through Old English from Latin portus, meaning a harbour or haven. The nautical left-side sense grew from the side of a ship that faced the harbour when loading. The wine name comes from Porto in Portugal, from which the wine was shipped. Later technical uses, such as computer port and the verb meaning 'adapt software to another system', developed in modern English from ideas of connection and transfer.