Quay; harbor; port.
The region adjacent to a boat dock.
ETYM AS. haefene.
Place of safety or sanctuary; SYN. oasis.
1. A place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country.
2. An opening (in a wall or ship or armored vehicle) for firing through; SYN. embrasure, porthole.
Point where goods are loaded or unloaded from a water-based to a land-based form of transport. Most ports are coastal, though inland ports on rivers also exist. Ports often have specialized equipment to handle cargo in large quantities (for example, container or roll-on/roll-off facilities).
Historically, ports have been important growth poles from which the transport networks of many colonial and trading countries developed, as in Nigeria. Ports with deep-water berths can accommodate large modern shipping; for example, the port of Rotterdam. See also airport.