Ports

1. a town or city with a harbour or access to navigable water where ships load or unload.

   the French port of Toulon

   Port Elizabeth

Old English, from Latin portus ‘haven, harbour’, reinforced in Middle English by Old French.

1. a strong, sweet dark red (occasionally brown or white) fortified wine, originally from Portugal, typically drunk as a dessert wine.

   they settled down to a final glass of port

   tawny ports do not need decanting

early 17th century: shortened form of Porto, a major port from which the wine is shipped.

1. the side of a ship or aircraft that is on the left when one is facing forward.

   the ferry was listing to port

   the port side of the aircraft

1. turn (a ship or its helm) to port.

   the yacht immediately raised all sail and ported her helm

mid 16th century: probably originally the side containing an entry port or facing the port (quayside) for loading.

1. an opening in the side of a ship for boarding or loading.
2. a socket in a computer network into which a device can be plugged.

   a communications port for optional cellular and other wireless modules

3. a gate or gateway, especially into a walled city.

Old English (in the sense ‘gateway’), from Latin porta ‘gate’; reinforced in Middle English by Old French porte . The later sense ‘opening in the side of a ship’ led to the general sense ‘aperture’.

1. transfer (software) from one system or machine to another.

   the software can be ported to practically any platform

2. carry or convey.

   we ported the milk cans from the plentiful water supply of the gym

1. the position required by an order to port a weapon.

   Parker had his rifle at the port

2. a person's carriage or bearing.

   she has the proud port of a princess

3. a transfer of software from one system or machine to another.

   the first port of a commercial database to this operating system

Middle English (in port⁵ (sense 2 of the noun)): from Old French port ‘bearing, gait’, from the verb porter, from Latin portare ‘carry’. The verb (from French porter ) dates from the mid 16th century.

1. a suitcase or travelling bag.

   she packed her ports and walked out

early 20th century: abbreviation of portmanteau.