What is "port"

Larboard \Lar"board`\, n. [Lar- is of uncertain origin, possibly the same as lower, i. e., humbler in rank, because the starboard side is considered by mariners as higher in rank; cf. D. laag low, akin to E. low. See Board, n., 8.] (Naut.) The left-hand side of a ship to one on board facing toward the bow; port; -- opposed to starboard.

Note: Larboard is a nearly obsolete term, having been superseded by port to avoid liability of confusion with starboard, owing to similarity of sound.

"harbor," Old English port "harbor, haven," reinforced by Old French port "harbor, port; mountain pass;" Old English and Old French words both from Latin portus "port, harbor," originally "entrance, passage," figuratively "place of refuge, assylum," from PIE *prtu- "a going, a passage," from root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over" (cognates: Sanskrit parayati "carries over;" Greek poros "journey, passage, way," peirein "to pierce, run through;" Latin porta "gate, door," portare "passage," peritus "experienced;" Avestan peretush "passage, ford, bridge;" Armenian hordan "go forward;" Welsh rhyd "ford;" Old Church Slavonic pariti "to fly;" Old English faran "to go, journey," Old Norse fjörðr "inlet, estuary").\n

\nMeaning "left side of a ship" (looking forward from the stern) is attested from 1540s, from notion of "the side facing the harbor" (when a ship is docked). It replaced larboard in common usage to avoid confusion with starboard; officially so by Admiralty order of 1844 and U.S. Navy Department notice of 1846. Figurative sense "place of refuge" is attested from early 15c.; phrase any port in a storm first recorded 1749. A port of call (1810) is one paid a scheduled visit by a ship.

"gateway," Old English port "portal, door, gate, entrance," from Old French porte "gate, entrance," from Latin porta "city gate, gate; door, entrance," from PIE root *per- (see port (n.1)). Specific meaning "porthole, opening in the side of a ship" is attested from c.1300.

"bearing, mien," c.1300, from Old French port, from porter "to carry," from Latin portare (see port (n.1)).

type of sweet dark-red wine, 1690s, shortened from Oporto, city in northwest Portugal from which the wine originally was shipped to England; from O Porto "the port;" (see port (n.1)).

"to carry," from Middle French porter, from Latin portare "to carry" (see port (n.1)). Related: Ported; porting.

Etymology 1

1. (context nautical English) Of or relating to port, the left-hand side of a vessel. n. A place on the coast at which ships can shelter, or dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. v

2. (context nautical transitive chiefly imperative English) To turn or put to the left or larboard side of a ship; said of the helm. Etymology 2

   n. 1 (context now Scotland historical English) An entryway or gate. 2 An opening or doorway in the side of a ship, especially for boarding or loading; an embrasure through which a cannon may be discharged; a porthole. 3 (context curling bowls English) A space between two stones wide enough for a delivered stone or bowl to pass through. 4 An opening where a connection (such as a pipe) is made. 5 (context computing English) A logical or physical construct in and from which data are transferred. (pedialite: Computer port (hardware)) 6 (context computing English) A female connector of an electronic device, into which a cable's male connector can be inserted. Etymology 3

   n. 1 Something used to carry a thing, especially a frame for wicks in candle-making. 2 (context archaic English) The manner in which a person carries himself; bearing; deportment; carriage. See also (term portance English). 3 (context military English) The position of a weapon when ported; a rifle position executed by throwing the weapon diagonally across the front of the body, with the right hand grasping the small of the stock and the barrel sloping upward and crossing the point of the left shoulder. 4 (context computing English) A program that has been adapted, modify, or recoded so that it works on a different platform from the one for which it was created; the act of this adapting. 5 (context computing BSD English) A set of files used to build and install a binary executable file from the source code of an application. vb. 1 (context obsolete English) To carry, bear, or transport. See (term porter English). 2 (context military English) To hold or carry (a weapon) with both hands so that it lays diagonally across the front of the body, with the barrel or similar part near the left shoulder and the right hand grasping the small of the stock; or, to throw (the weapon) into this position on command. 3 (context computing video games English) To adapt, modify, or create a new version of, a program so that it works on a different platform. (pedialite Porting Porting (computing)) 4 (context telephony English) To carry or transfer an existing telephone number from one telephone service provider to another. Etymology 4

   n. A type of very sweet fortified wine, mostly dark red, traditionally made in Portugal. Etymology 5

   n. (context Australia Queensland northern New South Wales and elsewhere colloquial English) A suitcase, particularly a schoolbag.

adj. located on the left side of a ship or aircraft [syn: larboard]

1. n. a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country

2. sweet dark-red dessert wine originally from Portugal [syn: port wine]

3. an opening (in a wall or ship or armored vehicle) for firing through [syn: embrasure, porthole]

4. the left side of a ship or aircraft to someone facing the bow or nose [syn: larboard] [ant: starboard]

5. (computer science) computer circuit consisting of the hardware and associated circuitry that links one device with another (especially a computer and a hard disk drive or other peripherals) [syn: interface]

1. v. transfer data from one computer to another via a cable that links connecting ports

2. put or turn on the left side, of a ship; "port the helm"

3. bring to port; "the captain ported the ship at night"

4. land at or reach a port; "The ship finally ported"

5. turn or go to the port or left side, of a ship; "The big ship was slowly porting"

6. carry, bear, convey, or bring; "The small canoe could be ported easily"

7. carry or hold with both hands diagonally across the body, especially of weapons; "port a rifle"

8. drink port; "We were porting all in the club after dinner"

A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land. Port locations are selected to optimize access to land and navigable water, for commercial demand, and for shelter from wind and waves. Ports with deeper water are rarer, but can handle larger, more economical ships. Since ports throughout history handled every kind of traffic, support and storage facilities vary widely, may extend for miles, and dominate the local economy. Some ports have an important military role.

A port is a facility for receiving ships and transferring cargo.

Port or ports may also refer to:

In the internet protocol suite, a port is an endpoint of communication in an operating system. While the term is also used for hardware devices, in software it is a logical construct that identifies a specific process or a type of network service.

A port is always associated with an IP address of a host and the protocol type of the communication, and thus completes the destination or origination address of a communication session. A port is identified for each address and protocol by a 16-bit number, commonly known as the port number.

Specific port numbers are often used to identify specific services. Of the thousands of enumerated ports, 1024 well-known port numbers are reserved by convention to identify specific service types on a host. In the client–server model of application architecture, the ports that network clients connect to for service initiation provide a multiplexing service. After initial communication binds to the well-known port number, this port is freed by switching each instance of service requests to a dedicated, connection-specific port number, so that additional clients can be serviced. The protocols that primarily use ports are the transport layer protocols, such as the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

Ports were unnecessary on direct point-to-point links when the computers at each end could only run one program at a time. Ports became necessary after computers became capable of executing more than one program at a time and were connected to modern packet-switched networks.

In medicine, a port is a small medical appliance that is installed beneath the skin. A catheter connects the port to a vein. Under the skin, the port has a septum through which drugs can be injected and blood samples can be drawn many times, usually with less discomfort for the patient than a more typical "needle stick".

Ports are used mostly to treat hematology and oncology patients. Ports were previously adapted for use in hemodialysis patients, but were found to be associated with increased rate of infections and are no longer available in the US.

The port is usually inserted in the upper chest (known as a "chest port"), just below the clavicle or collar bone, leaving the patient's hands free.

Port is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

• Annabel Port (born 1975), English radio personality
• Bernard Port, English footballer
• Chal Port (1931–2011), American college baseball coach
• Chris Port (born 1967), American football player
• Jaan Port (1891–1950), Estonian biologist
• Mart Port (1922–2012), Estonian architect
• Mike Port (born 1945), American baseball executive
• Whitney Port (born 1985), American television personality

In electrical circuit theory, a port is a pair of terminals connecting an electrical network or circuit to an external circuit, a point of entry or exit for electrical energy. A port consists of two nodes ( terminals) connected to an outside circuit, that meets the port condition; the currents flowing into the two nodes must be equal and opposite.

The use of ports helps to reduce the complexity of circuit analysis. Many common electronic devices and circuit blocks, such as transistors, transformers, electronic filters, and amplifiers, are analyzed in terms of ports. In multiport network analysis, the circuit is regarded as a " black box" connected to the outside world through its ports. The ports are points where input signals are applied or output signals taken. Its behavior is completely specified by a matrix of parameters relating the voltage and current at its ports, so the internal makeup or design of the circuit need not be considered, or even known, in determining the circuit's response to applied signals.

The concept of ports can be extended to waveguides, but the definition in terms of current is not appropriate and the possible existence of multiple waveguide modes must be accounted for.