湾 is a bound form (b.f.) meaning 'bay, gulf, or harbor'. It appears in compound words and place names such as 海湾 (hǎiwān, 'gulf'), 港湾 (gǎngwān, 'harbor'), and 台湾 (Táiwān, 'Taiwan'). In maritime contexts it can also carry the sense of mooring or tying up, e.g., in 湾泊 (wānbó, 'to berth'). As a bound morpheme, it cannot stand alone and must combine with another character.