What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Harbour vs Riverbank - What's the difference?

harbour | riverbank |

As nouns the difference between harbour and riverbank

is that harbour is (obsolete|uncountable) shelter, refuge while riverbank is a sloped side of a river acting as a barrier between the water and level ground to either side.

As a verb harbour

is to provide shelter or refuge for.

harbour

English

Alternative forms

* herberwe (obsolete) * herborough (obsolete) * harbor (now US)

Noun

(wikipedia harbour)
  • (en noun) (British, Canada)
  • (obsolete, uncountable) Shelter, refuge.
  • A place of shelter or refuge.
    • The neighbourhood is a well-known harbour for petty thieves.
  • (obsolete) A house of the zodiac.
  • * Late 14th century: To ech of hem his tyme and his seson, / As thyn herberwe chaungeth lowe or heighe — Geoffrey Chaucer, ‘The Franklin’s Tale’, Canterbury Tales
  • A sheltered area for ships; a piece of water adjacent to land in which ships may stop to load and unload.
    • The city has an excellent natural harbour .
  • (astrology) The mansion of a heavenly body.
  • A mixing box for materials in glass-working.

    • Derived terms

    * harbourage * harbourmaster * unharboured

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To provide shelter or refuge for.
    • The docks, which once harboured''' tall ships, now '''harbour only petty thieves.
  • * Bishop Burnet
    • The bare suspicion made it treason to harbour the person suspected.
  • * Rowe
    • Let not your gentle breast harbour one thought of outrage.
  • To accept, as with a belief.
    • That scientist harbours the belief that God created humans.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=September 7 , author=Phil McNulty , title=Moldova 0-5 England , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=If Moldova harboured even the slightest hopes of pulling off a comeback that would have bordered on miraculous given their lack of quality, they were snuffed out 13 minutes before the break when Oxlade-Chamberlain picked his way through midfield before releasing Defoe for a finish that should have been dealt with more convincingly by Namasco at his near post.}}

    See also

    * dock * haven

    riverbank

    English

    Noun

  • A sloped side of a river acting as a barrier between the water and level ground to either side.
  • * 1900 — , ch 8
    • "The best plan will be to walk along the riverbank until we come to the road again," remarked the Lion.