# haven

Pronunciation: say "HAY-vuhn" /ˈheɪvən/

## Noun

1. A place of safety or refuge, where people or animals are protected from danger or can find peace and calm.
   - Simple: A safe, calm place where people or animals are protected from danger or noise.
   - _The island became a haven for seabirds driven off the mainland by development._
   - _For kids from troubled homes, the after-school center is a haven._
4. A place that strongly appeals to, or suits, a certain group or activity because it offers an abundance of what they are looking for.
   - Simple: A place that is great for a certain kind of person or activity, with lots of what they want.
   - _With dozens of food trucks and night markets, the neighborhood has become a haven for adventurous eaters._
   - _The island's quiet coves are havens for snorkelers, full of reef fish and sea turtles._

## Noun

2. A harbor or anchorage sheltered from the open sea. *(dated)*
   - Simple: A sheltered place on the coast where ships can stay safe from the sea.
   - _The fishing fleet ran for the haven when the gale came up._
   - _Three merchant ships rode at anchor in the haven, waiting for the wind to change._

## Verb

3. To shelter someone or something, or give them a safe place to stay. *(rare)*
   - Simple: To bring into a safe place, or to give a safe place to.

## Origin

From Old English hæfen ('harbor, port'), either inherited or taken from Old Norse hǫfn, from a Germanic word shared with Dutch haven and German Hafen. Its deeper origin is uncertain, perhaps a Germanic word for 'sea'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/haven (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).