berth

• birth, byrth (obsolete)

Origin obscure. Possibly from Middle English *berth (“bearing, carriage”), equivalent to bear +‎ -th.

Alternatively, from an alteration of Middle English beard, bærde (“bearing, conduct”), itself of obscure formation. Compare Old English ġebǣru (“bearing, conduct, behaviour”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /bɜːθ/
• (US) enPR: bûrth, IPA^(key): /bɝθ/
• Homophone: birth
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)θ

berth (plural berths)

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”, in The Guardian‎:

     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.

berth (third-person singular simple present berths, present participle berthing, simple past and past participle berthed)

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

From Proto-Brythonic *berθ, from Proto-Celtic *berxtos.

berth (feminine singular berth, plural berth, equative berthed, comparative berthach, superlative berthaf)

1. fair, fine, beautiful

• anferth (“colossal, gargantuan”)
• prydferth (“beautiful, handsome”)