a seaport

Meaning

1. 1nouncountable

   A town or city with a harbor where ships can load and unload goods or passengers.

   Grammar: Countable: 'a seaport', 'two seaports'. Often used with names: 'the seaport of Rotterdam'.

   Patterns

   • a busy seaport
   • a seaport town
   • the seaport of [place]

   Singapore is one of the busiest seaports in the world.

   The old seaport has been transformed into a tourist area.

   Goods from the seaport are transported inland by train.

Word forms

Common combinations

busy seaport

The busy seaport handles thousands of containers daily.

seaport town

She grew up in a small seaport town on the coast.

major seaport

Shanghai is a major seaport for international trade.

Synonyms and how they differ

port

Port is the general word for a place where ships stop; seaport specifically means a port on the sea, not on a river or lake.

harbor

Harbor is the sheltered water area where ships anchor; a seaport includes the town and facilities around it.

Word family

port noun

A place where ships load and unload.

Commonly confused: a seaport or airport?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “a seaport”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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