A person who provides shelter, refuge, or protection; one who harbors or conceals someone or something (sometimes with criminal implications).
From 'harbor' (verb) with the agent suffix '-er,' creating a noun for someone who performs the action. The verb 'harbor' comes from Old English 'herberge,' meaning to shelter. The meaning expanded to include concealment.
'Harborer' often appears in legal contexts—'harborer of fugitives' was a serious charge in English law because helping someone escape justice made you complicit in their crimes. It shows how medieval vocabulary became embedded in the legal system.
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