berth
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A place on a vessel to sleep.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
burthIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈbɝθ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
by extension
A place on a vessel to sleep, especially a bed on the side of a cabin.
A job in an organization
by extension
A job or position on a vessel.
figurative
An appointment, job, or position, especially one regarded as comfortable or good.
A bed on a ship or train; usually in tiers
by extension
A bunk or other bed for sleeping on in a caravan, a train, etc.
verb
transitivefigurative
To provide (someone) with a berth (noun etymology 1, sense 3.1) or appointment, job, or position.
transitiveby extensionchiefly 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.
Come into or dock at a wharf
intransitiveby extension
Of a person: to occupy a berth.
Secure in or as if in a berth or dock
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Primarily written
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A place on a vessel to sleep, especially a bed on the side of a cabin.
Used this way, berth is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a nautical use: it is standard at sea and largely unfamiliar ashore.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Sailing/maritime
- Technical/specialist writing
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
The lower of two berths.
A room for the treatment of the sick or injured (as on a ship).
The higher of two berths.
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.