harboured
|har-boured|
🇺🇸
/ˈhɑɹbɚ/
🇬🇧
/ˈhɑːbə/
(harbour)
to provide shelter / to hold secretly
Etymology
'harbour' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'herebeorg', where 'here-' meant 'army' and 'beorg' meant 'shelter'.
'harbour' changed from Old English 'herebeorg' into Middle English forms such as 'herberge'/'harberwe' (influenced by Old French 'herberge'), and eventually became the modern English word 'harbour'.
Initially, it meant 'shelter for an army' or 'military lodging', but over time it evolved into meanings such as 'a place of shelter for ships' and 'to give refuge or conceal', and later the figurative sense 'to hold feelings or thoughts'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past tense or past participle form of 'harbour'.
They had harboured doubts about the plan from the start.
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Verb 2
to give shelter or refuge to (ships, people, etc.); to provide a safe place.
During the storm the small port harboured dozens of fishing boats.
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Verb 3
to keep (a thought, feeling, or intention) in one's mind, often secretly or for a long time.
He had harboured resentment toward his former partner for years.
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Last updated: 2026/01/05 01:05