Moorish
adjective
of or relating to the Moors, a Muslim people of NW Africa.
Moorish
American
[moor-ish]
/ ˈmʊər ɪʃ /
adjective
-
of or relating to the Moors, a Muslim people of NW Africa.
-
in the style of the Moors, as architecture or decoration.
moorish
British
/ ˈmʊərɪʃ, ˈmɔː- /
adjective
-
of or relating to the Moors
-
denoting the style of architecture used in Spain from the 13th to 16th century, characterized by the horseshoe arch
Etymology
Origin of Moorish
First recorded in 1400–50, Moorish is from the late Middle English word morys. See Moor, -ish 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The home, she said, is more than 200 years old and built by her Spanish forefathers, with a tiled courtyard in the center and Moorish accents on the masonry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2026
The tool reached Europe through the Moorish conquest of much of Spain.
From New York Times ● Mar. 12, 2024
Drought-stricken farmers in Spain have reclaimed medieval Moorish irrigation technology.
From Salon ● Feb. 26, 2024
In Andalusia, there is an enormous Islamic, Berber and Moorish influence that has shaped Spanish culture, language and architecture.
From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2023
Now, like the abortive Crusade for Moorish Dignity, he had another debacle on his itching hands.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
The moorish, sort of gothic feeling that you get when you go there—I think that’s part of it.
From Slate ● May 18, 2016
The "moorish fool" is explained by the allusion to the lapwing, two lines above.
From The Works of Christopher Marlowe, Vol. 3 (of 3) by A. H. (Arthur Henry) Bullen
Travelled for some miles along the open country, which was all without hedgerows, sometimes arable, sometimes moorish, and often whole tracts covered with grunsel.
From Recollections of a Tour Made in Scotland A.D. 1803 by John Campbell Shairp
The walls and pillars were painted blue and white, in the moorish taste and on the back wall was sketched a fire screen, ornamented with a coarse painting of a flower-pot.
From Lander's Travels The Travels of Richard Lander into the Interior of Africa by Robert Huish
About the same time a moorish wedding was celebrated, the ceremony of which is thus described by Mr. Park.
From Lander's Travels The Travels of Richard Lander into the Interior of Africa by Robert Huish
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
