berth

Meaning

Noun

1. (broadly) Chiefly in wide berth: a sufficient space in the water for a ship or other vessel to lie at anchor or manoeuvre without getting in the way of other vessels, or colliding into rocks or the shore.
2. (broadly) Chiefly in wide berth: a sufficient space in the water for a ship or other vessel to lie at anchor or manoeuvre without getting in the way of other vessels, or colliding into rocks or the shore.
3. (broadly) Chiefly in wide berth: a sufficient space in the water for a ship or other vessel to lie at anchor or manoeuvre without getting in the way of other vessels, or colliding into rocks or the shore.
4. (broadly) Chiefly in wide berth: a sufficient space in the water for a ship or other vessel to lie at anchor or manoeuvre without getting in the way of other vessels, or colliding into rocks or the shore.
5. (broadly) An assigned place for a person in (chiefly historical) a horse-drawn coach or other means of transportation, or (military) in a barracks.
6. (broadly) A bunk or other bed for sleeping on in a caravan, a train, etc.
7. (broadly) A place for a vehicle on land to park.
8. (figuratively) An appointment, job, or position, especially one regarded as comfortable or good.
9. (figuratively) Chiefly in wide berth: a sufficient space for manoeuvring or safety.
10. (figuratively, slang) A proper place for a thing.
11. (figuratively) A position or seed in a tournament bracket.
12. (figuratively) A position on a field of play.

Verb

1. (transitive) To bring (a ship or other vessel) into a berth (noun sense 1.1); also, to provide a berth for (a vessel).
2. (specifically, transitive) To bring (a ship or other vessel) into a berth (noun sense 1.1); also, to provide a berth for (a vessel).
3. (broadly, transitive) To assign (someone) a berth (noun sense 1.3 or sense 2.2) or place to sleep on a vessel, a train, etc.
4. (figuratively, transitive) To provide (someone) with a berth (noun sense 3.1) or appointment, job, or position.
5. (intransitive, reflexive) Of a vessel: to move into a berth.
6. (broadly, intransitive) Of a person: to occupy a berth.

Verb

Chiefly in shipbuilding: to construct (a ship or part of it) using wooden boards or planks; to board, to plank.

Opposite of

unberth

Synonyms

moor

bunk

anchorage

moorage

bed

🛏️

wharf

tie up

anchor

⚓

position

post

billet

spot

cot

place

mooring

office

🏢

situation

sleeping berth

built in bed

slip

dock

haven

hitch on

hook on

lair

land

landing stage

layer

locale

location

locus

lower

mend

moorings

niche

patch

point

poise

seat

💺

shipping space

site

slot

start

stratum

tackle

tie-up

come to anchor

venue

call at a port

come alongside

Translations

cuccetta

couchette

anlegen

Koje

attraccare

ormeggio

Liegeplatz

attracco

kooi

αγκυροβόλιο

ormeggiare

ligplaats

Landungsplatz

assegnare una cuccetta

leito

Pronounced as (IPA)

/bɜːθ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: birth

Inherited from Old English: beran

In summary

The noun is derived from Late Middle English birth (“(nautical) bearing away or off, clearance, berth”). Further etymology uncertain, but probably from beren (“to carry (away), bear”) + -th (suffix denoting a condition, quality, state of being, etc., forming nouns); if so, the English word is analysable as bear + -th (suffix forming nouns from verbs), and is a piecewise doublet of birth.
The verb is derived from the noun.