berth C2+ Topic:Transportation US /bɜrθ/ UK /bɜːθ/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun a place for a ship to dock; a sleeping bunk on a ship or train The freighter eased into its berth at the crowded quay. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a place for a ship to dock;... bunkbedmooringdockanchorageslip Word family Related forms bear Etymology AI details Of uncertain origin, recorded from the 17th century as a nautical term 'sea room,' probably from bear (in the nautical sense 'to bear off') + -th. beran Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Transportation External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # berth **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /bɜrθ/ **IPA (UK):** /bɜːθ/ ## Meanings 1. a place for a ship to dock; a sleeping bunk on a ship or train ## Examples - The freighter eased into its berth at the crowded quay. ## Synonyms - bunk - bed - mooring - dock - anchorage - slip ## Related Forms - bear ## Roots and Affixes - Root: beran ## Etymology Of uncertain origin, recorded from the 17th century as a nautical term 'sea room,' probably from bear (in the nautical sense 'to bear off') + -th. ## AI Etymology Berth is a noun and verb meaning "a place for a ship to dock; a sleeping bunk on a ship or train". Historically, it is of uncertain origin, recorded from the 17th century as a nautical term 'sea room,' probably from bear (in the nautical sense 'to bear off') + -th. The visible construction is part of the etymology: berth is not just an unanalyzed simple word. The semantic history matters here: the earlier use is the starting point, and the modern sense, "a place for a ship to dock; a sleeping bunk on a ship or train", is the later or specialized English value. The historical chain is anchored in Old English beran. A close English family member is bear. ## Topics - Transportation markdown