A perpendicular bank or mound of timber, or stone and earth, raised on the shore of a harbor, river, canal, etc., or extending some distance into the water, for the convenience of lading and unlading ships and other vessels. Webster. A broad, plain place near a river, canal, or other water, to lay wares on that are brought to or from the water. Cowell. A wharf is a structure erected on a shore be low high water mark, and sometimes extending into the channel, for the laying vessels alongside to load or unload, and on “which stores are often erected for the reception of cargoes.