moor
1[ moor ]
/ mʊər /
noun
a tract of open, peaty, wasteland, often overgrown with heath, common in high latitudes and altitudes where drainage is poor; heath.
a tract of land preserved for game.
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Origin of moor
1before 900; Middle English more,Old English mōr; cognate with Dutch moer,German Moor marsh
OTHER WORDS FROM moor
moory, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH moor
moor , moreWords nearby moor
Definition for moor (2 of 3)
moor2
[ moor ]
/ mʊər /
verb (used with object)
to secure (a ship, boat, dirigible, etc.) in a particular place, as by cables and anchors or by lines.
to fix firmly; secure.
verb (used without object)
to moor a ship, small boat, etc.
to be made secure by cables or the like.
noun
the act of mooring.
Origin of moor
21485–95; earlier more, akin to Old English mǣrels- in mǣrelsrāp rope for mooring a ship; see marline
Definition for moor (3 of 3)
Moor
[ moor ]
/ mʊər /
noun
a Muslim of the mixed Berber and Arab people inhabiting NW Africa.
a member of this group that invaded Spain in the 8th century a.d. and occupied it until 1492.
Origin of Moor
1350–1400; Middle English More<Middle French, variant of Maure<Latin Maurus<Greek Maûros
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for moor
British Dictionary definitions for moor (1 of 3)
moor1
/ (mʊə, mɔː) /
noun
a tract of unenclosed ground, usually having peaty soil covered with heather, coarse grass, bracken, and moss
Derived forms of moor
moory, adjectiveWord Origin for moor
Old English mōr; related to Old Saxon mōr, Old High German muor swamp
British Dictionary definitions for moor (2 of 3)
moor2
/ (mʊə, mɔː) /
verb
to secure (a ship, boat, etc) with cables or ropes
(of a ship, boat, etc) to be secured in this way
(not in technical usage) a less common word for anchor (def. 11)
Word Origin for moor
C15: of Germanic origin; related to Old English mǣrelsrāp rope for mooring
British Dictionary definitions for moor (3 of 3)
Moor
/ (mʊə, mɔː) /
noun
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)
Word Origin for Moor
C14: via Old French from Latin Maurus, from Greek Mauros, possibly from Berber
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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