What does port mean?
Port most commonly denotes a harbor or the coastal town associated with one, especially a place where ships load and unload cargo or take on passengers. It also refers to a physical opening or connection point, such as a doorway in a machine or a network endpoint used by a computer system. As a verb, to port means to transfer software, data, or another resource from one environment to another, as in porting an application to a new operating system. The word’s range of meanings is united by the idea of a passage or connection. In maritime contexts, a port is a practical place of arrival and departure; in technology, it is a designated point through which information can enter or leave. The word is consequently common in transportation, navigation, computing, software development, and logistics.
A harbor, or a town or city situated at a harbor where ships load and unload cargo, take on passengers, or shelter.
"The storm delayed several vessels from entering the port."
An opening or connection point in a device, building, or network, especially a numbered network endpoint used by a computer system.
"The server accepts connections through port 443."
To transfer or adapt software, data, or another resource from one computer, operating system, or platform to another.
"The developers ported the application to the new platform."
The plural is used for multiple harbors, cities, connection points, or network endpoints.
"The shipping route connects several major ports."
One word links a harbor, a doorway, and a computer connection: a port is a passage through which goods, people, or data can travel.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does port come from?
The word comes through Old English port from Latin portus, meaning a harbor or gateway. The Latin term also contributed to words such as portable, airport, and passport, as well as to portico through Italian. Its computer and telecommunications senses developed much later by analogy with a harbor or passage: a network port is a connection point through which data enters or leaves.
Related word forms
How port is actually used
In computing, port commonly means a numerical endpoint used by network protocols, such as port 443 for encrypted web traffic. In data migration and software, the verb is common in technical contexts such as porting an application to a new platform. As a noun referring to a harbor, the word is standard in British and American English.