Also 7 warfe. [f. WHARF sb.1]
† 1. trans. To strengthen or make firm (e.g., the bank of a river) with a wall of timber or stone. Obs.
1569. Surrey & Kent Sewers Comm. (1909), 6. To … core and wharfe xxiiijte roddes of the walle.
1615. Crt.-roll of Gl. Waltham Manor, Essex (MS.). Preceptum est … sufficienter cumulare (Anglicè, to wharfe) fossatum suum.
1618. in F. Devon, Issues Exch. (1836), 335. For three bridges to go over the sewers, and for wharfing the sides with strong timber.
1674. Josselyn, Two Voy. New-Eng., 162. The houses are for the most part raised on the Sea-banks and wharfed out with great industry and cost.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 6 March 1667. I proposed to my Ld. Chancellor Monsieur Kiviet’s undertaking to warfe the whole river of Thames, or Key, from the Temple to the Tower … with brick.
1724. [see WHARFING 2].
1793. R. Mylne, Rep. Thames, 37. The Road ought to be raised and wharfed.
transf. 1628. Wither, Brit. Rememb., I. 192. Is this that Iland, which our love … Did wharfe about (within her watry Dike) With mighty Rocks, and Cliffes?
2. To bring to shore or discharge at a wharf.
1629. Wadsworth, Pilgr., viii. 87. A Master of an English Barke … who had wharft ouer a hundred French.
1694. Lond. Gaz., No. 3024/4. Goods will be Wharfed here at easier Rates than heretofore.
1798. in Spirit Publ. Jrnls. (1799), II. 351. Every species of property (whether landed, funded, wharfed, warehoused, or shipped).
1803. W. Tatham, Rep. Imped. Thames, 73. Nor would it be a very difficult matter to dock or wharf the whole of their commerce.
3. To accommodate (vessels) at a wharf.
1902. A. H. Burgoyne, in Times, 1 Nov., 5/6. A large stone basin, capable of wharfing a dozen battleships of the first class, has been built just inside the harbour [of Port Arthur].
4. intr. To come to wharf.
1891. Talmage, in Hornellsville Weekly Tribute (N.Y.), 1 Jan., 4/5. It was this Christ that the Pilgrim Fathers appealed to when the Mayflower wharfed at Plymouth Rock, and in the years that went by the graves digged were more in number than the houses built.
1901. Daily Chron., 4 June, 3/4. The Royal Squadron wharfed … at half-past seven.
