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wharf

(wôrf, hwôrf)

n. pl. wharves (wôrvz, hwôrvz) or wharfs

1. A pier where ships or boats are tied up and loaded or unloaded.

2. Obsolete A shore or riverbank.

v. wharfed, wharf·ing, wharfs

v.tr.

1. To moor (a vessel) at a wharf.

2. To take to or store (cargo) on a wharf.

3. To furnish, equip, or protect with wharves or a wharf.

v.intr.

To berth at a wharf.

[Middle English, from Old English hwearf.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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