moor

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈmu̇r 

1

chiefly British : an expanse of open rolling infertile land

2

: a boggy area

especially : one that is peaty and dominated by grasses and sedges

moor

2 of 3

verb

moored; mooring; moors

transitive verb

: to make fast with or as if with cables, lines, or anchors : anchor

intransitive verb

1

: to secure a boat by mooring : anchor

2

: to be made fast

Moor

3 of 3

noun (2)

ˈmu̇r 

1

: one of the Arab and Berber conquerors of Spain

2

: berber

Moorish

ˈmu̇r-ish 

adjective

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• campo
• champaign
• down(s)
• grassland
• heath
• lea
• ley
• llano
• pampa
• plain
• prairie
• savanna
• savannah
• steppe
• tundra
• veld
• veldt

Verb

• anchor
• catch
• clamp
• fasten
• fix
• hitch
• secure
• set

Examples of moor in a Sentence

Noun (1)

as she wanders the windswept moor, the novel's heroine vows that she will never marry the vicar

a mysterious figure who was said to have haunted the moors of southwest England

Verb

We found a harbor and moored the boat there for the night.

The boat was moored alongside the dock.

We need to find a place to moor for the night.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The family’s land holdings also encompass historic grouse moors in northern England and Scotland. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2024

As the album progresses, White dips into his Willie Dixon bag, his Jimmy Page bag, his Stooges bag, his James Gang bag, wandering from the Rust Belt to the Delta to the murky English moors, all familiar spots for White, keeping the songs concise, heavy, and lean. —Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2024

Verb

For the cover image, the husband and wife posed under a gondola sign wearing coordinating red looks while one of the famous boats was moored in the canal. —Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 10 Aug. 2024

Following the ferry’s retirement, it was moored at St. George Terminal until its fate was determined. —Lisa Lockwood, WWD, 7 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English mor, from Old English mōr; akin to Old High German muor moor

Verb

Middle English moren; akin to Middle Dutch meren, maren to tie, moor

Noun (2)

Middle English More, from Anglo-French, from Latin Maurus inhabitant of Mauretania

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

moor

1 of 3 noun

ˈmu̇(ə)r 

: a boggy area

especially : one that is peaty and dominated by grasses and sedges

moor

2 of 3 verb

: to fasten in place with cables, lines, or anchors

moor a boat

moorage

-ij

noun

Moor

3 of 3 noun

ˈmu̇(ə)r 

: one of a North African people that conquered Spain in the 8th century and ruled until 1492

Moorish

-ish 

adjective

Etymology

Noun

Old English mōr "an area of open and wet wasteland"

Verb

Middle English moren "to fasten (a boat) in place"

Noun

Middle English More "Moor," from early French More (same meaning), from Latin Maurus "a person from Mauretania (a country in Africa)"