Wiktionary:Word of the day/2024/July 9

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Word of the day
for July 9
berth n
  1. (nautical) Chiefly in wide berth: a sufficient space in the water for a ship or other vessel to lie at anchor or manoeuvre without getting in the way of other vessels, or colliding into rocks or the shore.
    1. (by extension) A place for a vessel to lie at anchor or to moor.
    2. (by extension) A room in a vessel in which the officers or company mess (eat together) and reside; also, a room or other place in a vessel for storage.
    3. (by extension) A place on a vessel to sleep, especially a bed on the side of a cabin.
    4. (by extension) A job or position on a vessel.
  2. (by extension)
    1. An assigned place for a person in (chiefly historical) a horse-drawn coach or other means of transportation, or (military) in a barracks.
    2. A bunk or other bed for sleeping on in a caravan, a train, etc.
    3. (road transport) A place for a vehicle on land to park.
  3. (figurative)
    1. An appointment, job, or position, especially one regarded as comfortable or good.
    2. Chiefly in wide berth: a sufficient space for manoeuvring or safety.
    3. (chiefly nautical, slang) A proper place for a thing.
    4. (sports)
      1. A position or seed in a tournament bracket.
      2. A position on a field of play.

berth v

  1. (transitive)
    1. (nautical) To bring (a ship or other vessel) into a berth (noun sense 1.1); also, to provide a berth for (a vessel).
      1. (specifically, astronautics) To use a device to bring (a spacecraft) into its berth or dock.
    2. (by extension, chiefly passive voice) To assign (someone) a berth (noun sense 1.3 or sense 2.2) or place to sleep on a vessel, a train, etc.
    3. (figurative) To provide (someone) with a berth (noun sense 3.3) or appointment, job, or position.
  2. (intransitive)
    1. (reflexive, nautical) Of a vessel: to move into a berth.
    2. (by extension) Of a person: to occupy a berth. [...]
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