noun / adjective
port
The left side of a vessel or aircraft when facing forward.
The captain watches a small fishing boat pass to port.
Etymology
Port developed as the nautical name for the left side, associated with the side facing a harbor or loading place. It replaced larboard in common use because that sounded too like starboard.
More examples
- Passengers board the ship from the port side.
- The mechanic checks the plane's port wing.
- We keep the red buoy to port as we enter.
Forms
port
Similar words
- left
- Can depend on the observer's position; port is fixed facing forward.