harbor seal

3 definitions found

harbor seal - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Harbor \Har"bor\ (h[aum]r"b[~e]r), n. [Written also harbour.]
     [OE. herbor, herberwe, herberge, Icel. herbergi (cf. OHG.
     heriberga), orig., a shelter for soldiers; herr army + bjarga
     to save, help, defend; akin to AS. here army, G. heer, OHG.
     heri, Goth. harjis, and AS. beorgan to save, shelter, defend,
     G. bergen. See Harry, 2d Bury, and cf. Harbinger.]
     1. A station for rest and entertainment; a place of security
        and comfort; a refuge; a shelter.
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              [A grove] fair harbour that them seems. --Spenser.
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              For harbor at a thousand doors they knocked.
                                                    --Dryden.
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     2. Specif.: A lodging place; an inn. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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     3. (Astrol.) The mansion of a heavenly body. [Obs.]
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     4. A portion of a sea, a lake, or other large body of water,
        either landlocked or artificially protected so as to be a
        place of safety for vessels in stormy weather; a port or
        haven.
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     5. (Glass Works) A mixing box for materials.
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     Harbor dues (Naut.), fees paid for the use of a harbor.
  
     Harbor seal (Zool.), the common seal.
  
     Harbor watch, a watch set when a vessel is in port; an
        anchor watch.
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  Seal \Seal\ (s[=e]l), n. [OE. sele, AS. seolh; akin to OHG.
     selah, Dan. sael, Sw. sj[aum]l, Icel. selr.] (Zool.)
     Any aquatic carnivorous mammal of the families Phocidae and
     Otariidae.
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     Note: Seals inhabit seacoasts, and are found principally in
           the higher latitudes of both hemispheres. There are
           numerous species, bearing such popular names as sea lion
           , sea leopard, sea bear, or ursine seal,
           fur seal, and sea elephant. The bearded seal
           (Erignathus barbatus), the hooded seal (Cystophora cristata
           ), and the ringed seal (Phoca foetida), are
           northern species. See also Eared seal, Harp seal,
           Monk seal, and Fur seal, under Eared, Harp,
           Monk, and Fur. Seals are much hunted for their
           skins and fur, and also for their oil, which in some
           species is very abundant.
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     Harbor seal (Zool.), the common seal (Phoca vitulina). It
        inhabits both the North Atlantic and the North Pacific
        Ocean, and often ascends rivers; -- called also marbled  seal
        , native seal, river seal, bay seal, land  seal
        , sea calf, sea cat, sea dog, dotard,
        ranger, selchie, tangfish.
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harbor seal - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  harbor seal
      n 1: small spotted seal of coastal waters of the northern
           hemisphere [syn: harbor seal, common seal, Phoca vitulina
           ]