wharf Meaning & Definition
What Does Wharf Mean?
Wharf is a noun that means a structure built along or at an angle from the shore of navigable waters so that ships may lie alongside to receive and discharge cargo and passengers. It is also used to mean the bank of a river or the shore of the sea.
Wharf at a Glance
| Part of speech | noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈ(h)wȯrf/ |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | dock, wharfage and float |
| Plural | wharves |
Wharf Definition (Noun)
- a structure built along or at an angle from the shore of navigable waters so that ships may lie alongside to receive and discharge cargo and passengers
- the bank of a river or the shore of the sea
Synonyms of Wharf
Wharf synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Wharf
No antonyms or near antonyms are listed by the available sources for this entry.
Wharf in a Sentence
tied the rowboat up at the wharf
Word Forms & Grammar
wharves
wharfs
wharf
wharf (plural wharves or wharfs)
wharf (third-person singular simple present wharfs, present participle wharfing, simple past and past participle wharfed)
Words That Rhyme With Wharf
Origin of Wharf
Origin 1: Middle English, from Old English hwearf embankment, wharf; akin to Old English hweorfan to turn, Old High German hwerban, Greek karpos wrist
Origin 2: From Middle English wharf, from Old English hwearf (“heap, embankment, wharf”); related to Old English hweorfan (“to turn”), Old Saxon hwerf (whence German Werft and Warft), Dutch werf, Old High German hwarb (“a turn”), hwerban (“to turn”), Old Norse hvarf (“circle”), and possibly Ancient Greek καρπός (karpós, “wrist”).
First Known Use
before 12th century
Wharf Pronunciation
The standard pronunciation of wharf is /ˈ(h)wȯrf/, spoken in 1 syllable.
Questions People Ask About Wharf
What part of speech is wharf?
Wharf is a noun.
What is another word for wharf?
You can replace wharf with words such as dock, wharfage and float. See the full list of wharf synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of wharf?
The plural of wharf is wharves.