berth

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General Australian) IPA(key): /bɜːθ/ (General American) enPR: bûrth, IPA(key): /bɜɹθ/ (Scotland) IPA(key): /bɛɹθ/ (New Zealand) IPA(key): /bøːθ/ (Liverpool, fair–fur merger) IPA(key): /beːθ/ (Humberside, Teesside, fair–fur merger) IPA(key): /bɛːθ/ Homophone: birth (fern–fir–fur merger) Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)θ === Etymology 1 === The noun is derived from Late Middle English birth (“(nautical) bearing away or off, clearance, berth”). Further etymology uncertain, but probably from beren (“to carry (away), bear”) + -th (suffix denoting a condition, quality, state of being, etc., forming nouns); if so, the English word is analysable as bear +‎ -th (suffix forming nouns from verbs), and is a piecewise doublet of birth. The verb is derived from the noun. ==== Noun ==== berth (plural berths) (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. (by extension) A place for a vessel to lie at anchor or to moor. (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. (by extension) A place on a vessel to sleep, especially a bed on the side of a cabin. (by extension) A job or position on a vessel. (by extension) An assigned place for a person in (chiefly historical) a horse-drawn coach or other means of transportation, or (military) in a barracks. A bunk or other bed for sleeping on in a caravan, a train, etc. (road transport) A place for a vehicle on land to park. (figurative) An appointment, job, or position, especially one regarded as comfortable or good. Chiefly in wide berth: a sufficient space for manoeuvring or safety. (chiefly nautical, slang) A proper place for a thing. (sports) A position or seed in a tournament bracket. A position on a field of play. ===== Alternative forms ===== birth, byrth (obsolete) ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== berth (third-person singular simple present berths, present participle berthing, simple past and past participle berthed) (transitive) (nautical) To bring (a ship or other vessel) into a berth (noun etymology 1 sense 1.1); also, to provide a berth for (a vessel). Antonym: unberth Coordinate terms: dock, moor (specifically, astronautics) To use a device to bring (a spacecraft) into its berth or dock. (by extension, chiefly passive voice) To assign (someone) a berth (noun etymology 1 sense 1.3 or etymology 1 sense 2.2) or place to sleep on a vessel, a train, etc. (figurative) To provide (someone) with a berth (noun etymology 1 sense 3.1) or appointment, job, or position. (intransitive) (reflexive, nautical) Of a vessel: to move into a berth. (by extension) Of a person: to occupy a berth. ===== Derived terms ===== berthage berther berthing (noun) unberth ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === Possibly borrowed from Icelandic byrði (“side of a ship, board”). ==== Verb ==== berth (third-person singular simple present berths, present participle berthing, simple past and past participle berthed) (archaic or historical) Chiefly in shipbuilding: to construct (a ship or part of it) using wooden boards or planks; to board, to plank. ===== Derived terms ===== berthed (adjective) berthing (noun) ===== Translations ===== === References === === Further reading === berth (moorings) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia cabin (ship) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia berth (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia == Welsh == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /bɛrθ/ Rhymes: -ɛrθ === Etymology 1 === From Middle Welsh berth, from Proto-Brythonic *berθ, from Proto-Celtic *berxtos. ==== Adjective ==== berth (feminine singular berth, plural berthion, equative berthed, comparative berthach, superlative berthaf) (obsolete) fair, fine, beautiful ===== Derived terms ===== anferth (“colossal, gargantuan”) Iorwerth (male given name) prydferth (“beautiful, handsome”) ==== Mutation ==== === Etymology 2 === ==== Noun ==== berth soft mutation of perth (“hedge”) ==== Mutation ====