Berth

Pronunciation

• Homophones: birth
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)θ

Alternative forms

• birth, byrth obsolete

Origin

Origin obscure, but apparently from Middle English *berth ("bearing, carriage"), equivalent to bear + -th.

Full definition of berth

Noun

1. A fixed bunk for sleeping in (caravans, trains, etc).
2. Room for maneuvering or safety. (Often used in the phrase a wide berth.)
3. A space for a ship to moor or a vehicle to park.
4. (nautical) A room in which a number of the officers or ship's company mess and reside.
5. A job or position, especially on a ship.
6. (sports) Position or seed in a tournament bracket.
7. (sports) position on the field of play
• 2012, December 29, Paul Doyle, Arsenal's Theo Walcott hits hat-trick in thrilling victory over Newcastle, Olivier Giroud then entered the fray and Walcott reverted to his more familiar berth on the right wing, quickly creating his side's fifth goal by crossing for Giroud to send a plunging header into the net from close range.

Verb

1. (transitive) to bring (a ship or vehicle) into its berth
2. (transitive) to assign a berth (bunk or position) to