berth

berth
\ \ [17] Like birth, berth appears to be based on the verb bear, although it is a separate and much later formation. At first it meant ‘safe manoeuvring distance at sea’ (from which we get the metaphorical ‘give a wide berth to’); this seems to have come from the nautical sense of bearsteer in a particular direction’ as in bear away (from which we get bear down on, as well as more general applications, such as ‘bear left’).
\ \ This led, via ‘convenient space for a ship to moor’, to, in the 18th century, the more familiar modern senses ‘sleeping place on a ship’ and ‘job, situation (originally on board ship)’.
\ \ Cf.BEAR, BIRTH

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Berth — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Berth Álbum en directo de The Used Publicación 6 de febrero de 2007 Grabación 2006 …   Wikipedia Español

  • berth — [bʉrth] n. [< base of BEAR1 + TH1] 1. enough space at sea to keep clear of another ship, the shore, etc. 2. space for anchoring or tying up 3. a ship s place of anchorage 4. a position, place, office, job, etc …   English World dictionary

  • Berth — (b[ e]rth), n. [From the root of bear to produce, like birth nativity. See {Birth}.] [Also written {birth}.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Naut.) (a) Convenient sea room. (b) A room in which a number of the officers or ship s company mess and reside. (c)… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • berth — ► NOUN 1) a ship s place at a wharf or dock. 2) a fixed bunk on a ship or train. ► VERB 1) moor in a berth. 2) provide a berth for (a passenger). ● give a wide berth Cf. ↑give a wide ber …   English terms dictionary

  • Berth — Berth, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Berthed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Berthing}.] 1. To give an anchorage to, or a place to lie at; to place in a berth; as, she was berthed stem to stern with the Adelaide. [1913 Webster] 2. To allot or furnish berths to, on… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • berth — berth·age; berth; berth·ing; …   English syllables

  • berth — [n1] harbor; bunk anchorage, bed, bedroom, billet, compartment, cot, dock, hammock, haven, jetty, levee, pier, port, quay, slip, wharf; concepts 513,516 berth [n2] position of responsibility appointment, billet, capacity, connection, employment,… …   New thesaurus

  • Berth — Berth. bei Tiernamen Abkürzung für Arnold Adolf Berthold, geb. 26. Febr. 1803 in Soest, gest. 3. Jan. 1861 in Göttingen als Professor der Physiologie …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • berth — index employment, lodge (house), lodging, office, post, seat, trade (occupation) …   Law dictionary

  • berth — 1 *room, play, elbowroom, leeway, margin, clearance 2 *wharf, dock, pier, quay, slip, jetty, levee …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Berth — The term berth is used to describe a bed on a boat or train, or a location in a port or harbour used specifically for mooring vessels while not at sea (or as a verb to describe bringing a vessel alongside to berth ), or for describing playoff… …   Wikipedia

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