dock1

 
Pronunciation: /dɒk/

noun

  • an enclosed area of water in a port for the loading, unloading, and repair of ships: the boat nosed up to a dock [mass noun]: the tanker was coming into dock [as modifier]: dock workers
  • (docks) a group of docks along with wharves and associated buildings.
  • short for dry dock.
  • North American a jetty or pier where a ship may moor.
  • (also loading dock) a platform for loading lorries or goods trains.

verb

[no object]
  • (of a ship) come into a dock and tie up at a wharf: the ship docked at Southampton
  • [with object] bring (a ship or boat) into a dock: the yard where the boats were docked and maintained
  • (of a spacecraft) join with a space station or another spacecraft in space: most spaceships docked at the orbital transit station the module was scheduled for docking in March
  • attach (a piece of equipment) to another: the user wants to dock a portable into a desktop computer

Phrases

in dock

(of a ship) moored in a dock.
British informal (of a person) not fully fit and out of action: he grazed my arm and put me in dock for a couple of days

Origin:

late Middle English: from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German docke, of unknown origin