berth

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈbɜːrθ/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/bɝθ/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(bûrth)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
berth /bɜrθ/USA pronunciation   n. 
    [countable]
  1. a shelflike sleeping space, as on a ship:We had adjoining sleeping berths.
  2. Nautical, Naval Terms
    • , Nautical, Naval Termsa space assigned to a ship in which to dock or lie at anchor:The tugboat eased the liner into its berth.
  3. a job;
    place:competing for berths on the Olympic team.

v. 
  1. to find, or provide with, a sleeping space: [~ + object]They were berthed in the cabin bedrooms.[no object]They berthed in the lower deck of the ship.
  2. Nautical, Naval Terms(of a ship) to (cause it to) come to a dock: [~ + object]The captain berthed the ship and went below.[no object]The ship berthed smoothly.
Idioms
  1. Idiomsgive a wide berth to, [~ + object] to keep a careful distance from:I'd give a wide berth to that job applicant.


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
berth  (bûrth),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. a shelflike sleeping space, as on a ship, airplane, or railroad car.
  2. [Naut.]
    • Naval Termsthe space allotted to a vessel at anchor or at a wharf.
    • Naval Termsthe distance maintained between a vessel and the shore, another vessel, or any object.
    • Naval Termsthe position or rank of a ship's officer.
    • Naval Termsthe cabin of a ship's officer.
  3. a job;
    position.
  4. a place, listing, or role:She clinched a berth on our tennis team.
  5. Idioms give a wide berth to, to shun;
    remain discreetly away from:Since his riding accident, he has given a wide berth to skittish horses.

v.t. 
  1. Naval Terms[Naut.]
    • , Nautical, Naval Termsto allot to (a vessel) a certain space at which to anchor or tie up.
    • , Naval Terms, Nauticalto bring to or install in a berth, anchorage, or moorage:The captain had to berth the ship without the aid of tugboats.
  2. to provide with a sleeping space, as on a train.

v.i. 
  1. Nautical, Naval Termsto come to a dock, anchorage, or moorage.
  • probably bear1 + -th1 1615–25
    4. . spot, slot, position, post, niche, appointment.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
berth /bɜːθ/ n
  1. a bed or bunk in a vessel or train, usually narrow and fixed to a wall
  2. a place assigned to a ship at a mooring
  3. sufficient distance from the shore or from other ships or objects for a ship to manoeuvre
  4. give a wide berth to ⇒ to keep clear of; avoid
  5. informal a job, esp as a member of a ship's crew
 vb
  1. (transitive) to assign a berth to (a vessel)
  2. to dock (a vessel)
  3. (transitive) to provide with a sleeping place, as on a vessel or train
  4. (intransitive) to pick up a mooring in an anchorage
Etymology: 17th Century: probably from bear1 + -th1
(Advertisement)
'berth' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
billet - accommodation - berthage - bright - couchette - lower - mud berth - niche - office - upper - section - space - spring
Collocations: the [ship's, vessel's, barge's] berth, The [ship] pulled [into, out of] its berth., The [ship] left its berth., more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "berth" in the title:


Look up "berth" at Merriam-Webster
Look up "berth" at dictionary.com
  • Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks.

In other languages: Spanish | French | Italian | Portuguese | Romanian | German | Dutch | Swedish | Russian | Polish | Czech | Greek | Turkish | Chinese | Japanese | Korean | Arabic

iPhone app store