landing stage
- noun
- UK
- We waited on the landing stage for the boat to arrive and take us to the island.
Examples
-
You have to gather your things, and we'll help you carry them to the landing stage.
-
Among the vessels at the landing stages, only one was being offloaded, and none were taking on cargo.
Fiction book (1995) -
When they rounded the next bend, he saw the lights of the landing stage where men were stacking sandbags.
Fiction book (1997) -
See-Far-Ahead and his horsemen galloped to escort her from the landing stage.
Fiction book (1995) -
While we were waiting on the landing stage, a lot of German emigrants came down, numbering 200 or 300. Being the first lot of Germans I had seen, they interested me very much. You see, they do not take large boxes like us English people but carry all their luggage on their shoulders in carpet bags. To show you what kind of people they are, I will just relate one or two little instances that came under my own observation.
Academic text (1993) -
The cargo was unloaded directly from the ship to the landing stage.
-
Tourists often take photos at the landing stage before boarding the ferry.
Synonyms
A platform by the water where boats tie up to load or unload
A platform at the edge of the water where boats stop to let people or goods on and off
A place in a harbour where ships stop to be loaded, unloaded, or repaired
A place on the shore where boats stop to load or unload people and things
A place in a harbor where ships stop for loading, unloading or repairs
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a platform beside water for loading or unloading boats' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'landing' (a place where boats land/load) with 'stage' (a raised platform). Although 'stage' can also mean a theatrical platform, the noun+noun composition and the sense of a platform for landing is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The name landing stage comes from the simple picture of a flat stage by the water where boats 'land', so people and goods can get on or off. That's why landing stage means a platform by the water for loading or unloading passengers and cargo.