The Collaborative International Dictionary
Wharf \Wharf\, n.; pl. Wharfsor Wharves. [AS. hwerf, hwearf, a returning, a change, from hweorfan to turn, turn about, go about; akin to D. werf a wharf, G. werft, Sw. varf a shipbuilder's yard, Dan. verft wharf, dockyard, G. werben to enlist, to engage, woo, OHG. werban to turn about, go about, be active or occupied, Icel. hverfa to turn, Goth. hwa['i]rban, hwarb[=o]n, to walk. Cf. Whirl.]
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A structure or platform of timber, masonry, iron, earth, or other material, built on the shore of a harbor, river, canal, or the like, and usually extending from the shore to deep water, so that vessels may lie close alongside to receive and discharge cargo, passengers, etc.; a quay; a pier.
Commerce pushes its wharves into the sea.
--Bancroft.Out upon the wharfs they came, Knight and burgher, lord and dame.
--Tennyson.Note: The this word is generally written wharves in the United States, and wharfs in England; but many recent English writers use wharves.
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[AS. hwearf.] The bank of a river, or the shore of the sea. [Obs.] ``The fat weed that roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf.'' --Shak. Wharf boat, a kind of boat moored at the bank of a river, and used for a wharf, in places where the height of the water is so variable that a fixed wharf would be useless. [U. S.] --Bartlett. Wharf rat. (Zo["o]l.)
The common brown rat.
A neglected boy who lives around the wharfs. [Slang]
Wiktionary
n. 1 (alternative name of brown rat English) 2 (context slang English) A neglected boy who lives around the wharfs.
WordNet
n. someone who lives near wharves and lives by pilfering from ships or warehouses
brown rat that infests wharves
Usage examples of "wharf rat".
The white Mitsubishi Nightsky stretch limo looked as out of place on the litter-strewn street as a wharf rat in the mayor's office, but that didn't stop it from being there.
But, never fear, the Wharf Rat Rangers are prepared to go as far as necessary to find a phone.
I want to sink my knife into that one--Turlock saw that this little wharf rat was as deeply committed as he.
Such a victory would end British defiance in Spain and Portugal for ever and would bring in its wake a roll call of new titles for the wharf rat who had joined the French royal army as a private.
So they walked on, down the middle of the broadest street of Caergoth's harbor, the brutes jumping whenever a wharf rat skittered from one shadow to the next.
Feet flying, kaftan flapping, the purple wharf rat sped to the destiny he would make for himself.
Brennan and Kant tumbled apart and the cop washed up next to Jennifer, wet as a wharf rat, sputtering and spitting.
From wharf rat to Stoneridge--do you know what a step like that means?
Never let it be said that a wharf rat can get off a sinking ship any faster than an 87% ADA liberal.