Wharf

The Barbours Cut Terminal of the Port of Houston, US. This cargo shipping terminal has a single large wharf with multiple berths.
Wharf under construction on the Upper Mississippi in Fountain City, Wisconsin[1]

A wharf (/wɔːrf, hwɔːrf/ w(h)orf) (pl.wharves or wharfs), quay (/k/ kee, also /k, kw/ k(w)ay[2]), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.[3][4] Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring locations), and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships. Wharves are often considered to be a series of docks at which boats are stationed. A marginal wharf is connected to the shore along its full length.[5]

  1. ^ "Fountain City Service Base mooring system gets an upgrade".
  2. ^ "quay". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  3. ^ "quay". American Heritage Dictionary. Dictionary.com, LLC. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  4. ^ "wharf". American Heritage Dictionary. Dictionary.com, LLC. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  5. ^ "Jetties, Piers and Wharfs". rusi-ns.ca. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2023.