moor

¹

[ moor ]

noun

1. a tract of open, peaty, wasteland, often overgrown with heath, common in high latitudes and altitudes where drainage is poor; heath.
2. a tract of land preserved for game.

moor

²

[ moor ]

verb (used with object)

1. to secure (a ship, boat, dirigible, etc.) in a particular place, as by cables and anchors or by lines.
2. to fix firmly; secure.

verb (used without object)

1. to moor a ship, small boat, etc.
2. to be made secure by cables or the like.

noun

1. the act of mooring.

Moor

³

[ moor ]

noun

1. a Muslim of the mixed Berber and Arab people inhabiting NW Africa.
2. a member of this group that invaded Spain in the 8th century a.d. and occupied it until 1492.

moor

¹

/ mɔː; mʊə /

verb

1. to secure (a ship, boat, etc) with cables or ropes
2. (of a ship, boat, etc) to be secured in this way
3. (not in technical usage) a less common word for anchor

moor

²

/ mɔː; mʊə /

noun

1. a tract of unenclosed ground, usually having peaty soil covered with heather, coarse grass, bracken, and moss

Moor

³

/ mʊə; mɔː /

noun

1. a member of a Muslim people of North Africa, of mixed Arab and Berber descent. In the 8th century they were converted to Islam and established power in North Africa and Spain, where they established a civilization (756–1492)

Derived Forms

• ˈmoory, adjective

Other Words From

• moory adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of moor¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English more, Old English mōr; cognate with Dutch moer, German Moor “marsh”

Origin of moor²

First recorded in 1485–95; earlier more, akin to Old English mǣrels- in mǣrelsrāp “rope for mooring a ship”; marline

Origin of moor³

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English More, from Middle French, variant of Maure, from Latin Maurus, from Greek Maûros, perhaps from Berber

Word History and Origins

Origin of moor¹

C15: of Germanic origin; related to Old English mǣrelsrāp rope for mooring

Origin of moor²

Old English mōr; related to Old Saxon mōr, Old High German muor swamp

Origin of moor³

C14: via Old French from Latin Maurus, from Greek Mauros, possibly from Berber

Example Sentences

The organisation is now calling for all the UK’s devolved nations to follow Scotland’s example and bring in licensing for grouse moor estates.

From BBC

A luxury super yacht called the Bayesian, moored only a few hundred metres away, had already sunk.

From BBC

Cutting our losses with the stonechats, we head back to his car and on to the road over the moors to Teesdale.

From BBC

Extending the use of the barge, which is moored off Portland, would have cost more than £20 million next year.

From BBC

Yacht moorings: During renovations, he spent time on one of his yachts anchored in the Potomac River and another penthouse apartment.

From New York Times

Related Words

• dock
• tether
• tie up