port

noun

/pɔːt/

/pɔːrt/

Idioms

jump to other results

[countable] a town or city with a harbour, especially one where ships load and unload goods
- a container/fishing ports
- Rotterdam is a major port.
- the port city of Gdansk
- the Black Sea ports
Extra Examples
- a port city/town
- the German port of Kiel
Topics Transport by waterb1, Geographyb1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- bustling
- busy
- major
- …
verb + port
- come into
- enter
- reach
- …
port + noun
- area
- city
- town
- …
preposition
- in port
- into port
phrases
- a port of call
- a port of entry
See full entry
[countable, uncountable]
(abbreviation Pt.)
a place where ships load and unload goods or shelter from storms
- a naval port
- a container/ferry port
- in/into port The ship spent four days in port.
- They reached port at last.
- port of entry (= a place where people or goods can enter a country)
- the port authorities
see also airport, free port, heliport, seaport
Extra Examples
- She tried to steer the boat into port.
- There was a spontaneous welcome for anyone who put into port on the island.
Topics Geographyb1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- bustling
- busy
- major
- …
verb + port
- come into
- enter
- reach
- …
port + noun
- area
- city
- town
- …
preposition
- in port
- into port
phrases
- a port of call
- a port of entry
See full entry
(also port wine)
[uncountable] a strong sweet wine, usually dark red, that is made in Portugal. It is usually drunk at the end of a meal. see also tawny portTopics Drinksc2
[countable] a glass of port
[uncountable] the side of a ship or aircraft that is on the left when you are facing forward
- the port side
compare starboardTopics Transport by waterc2, Sports: water sportsc2
[countable] (computing) a place on a computer where you can attach another piece of equipment, often using a cable
- the modem port
see also parallel port, serial portTopics Computersc2

Word Originnoun senses 1 to 2 Old English, from Latin portus ‘haven, harbour’, reinforced in Middle English by Old French. noun senses 3 to 4 shortened form of Oporto, a major port in Portugal from which the wine is shipped. noun sense 5 mid 16th cent.: probably originally the side containing an entry port or facing the port (quayside) for loading. noun sense 6 Old English (in the sense ‘gateway’), from Latin porta ‘gate’; reinforced in Middle English by Old French porte. The later sense ‘opening in the side of a ship’ led to the general sense ‘opening’.

Idioms

any port in a storm

(saying) if you are in great trouble, you take any help that is offered

port

verb

/pɔːt/

/pɔːrt/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they port	/pɔːt/ /pɔːrt/
he / she / it ports	/pɔːts/ /pɔːrts/
past simple ported	/ˈpɔːtɪd/ /ˈpɔːrtɪd/
past participle ported	/ˈpɔːtɪd/ /ˈpɔːrtɪd/
-ing form porting	/ˈpɔːtɪŋ/ /ˈpɔːrtɪŋ/

jump to other results

(computing) to copy software from one system or machine to another
- port something (from something) Is there a problem with apps ported from another platform?
- port something to something The software can be ported to a variety of systems.
- port something from something to something Porting software from one architecture to another is complex.
port something (to something) to continue to use the same number when you change from one phone company to another
- how to port your number to a new mobile phone

Word Originverb Middle English (referring to a person's bearing): from Old French port ‘bearing, gait’, from the verb porter, from Latin portare ‘carry’. The verb (from French porter) dates from the mid 16th cent.