- a level quayside area to which a ship may be moored to load and unload
The fishermen returned at dawn, docking their boats at the old wharf, where they loaded crates of fresh catch onto the waiting trucks.
Start tacking to remember the definition of "wharf" the next time you hear it or read it.
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The word ‘wharf‘ comes from the Old English ‘hwearf,‘ which means ‘bank‘ or ‘shore‘ and originally referred to a ramp or sloped place where ships could be brought to the shore for loading and unloading. This term evolved to particularly refer to structures built out from the shore to assist in the mooring of boats and handling of cargo.The Old English ‘hwearf‘ is connected to the Old Saxon ‘werf‘ (meaning ‘dam‘ or ‘embankment‘), the Middle Dutch ‘werf‘ (meaning ‘yard‘ or ‘wharf‘), and the Old High German ‘werb‘ (meaning ‘to turn‘ or ‘to twist‘). These terms all derive from the Proto-Germanic ‘*hwerbanan‘ (meaning “to turn”), indicating a place where vessels are turned or simply a constructed landing place parallel with the shoreline. The use of the word as a noun dates back to the 12th century in English.Over time, ‘wharf‘ came to describe any of the various types of piers or docks where vessels are tied up and where goods are loaded and unloaded.