moor

1 of 3

noun (1)

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)

1
: one of the Arab and Berber conquerors of Spain
2
: berber
Moorish adjective

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
There’s no better spot to catch sunset than at Awol Provincetown, located in the far West End overlooking the moors. Cameron Sperance, Travel + Leisure, 7 June 2025 Thousands of the leggy birds return to England’s moors and grasslands each spring to breed. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
Just as its name implies, this oversized two-story vessel sits moored in the tranquil waters of Montego Bay, serving an extensive menu of mostly seafood dishes, but with a little something for every diner. Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2025 Taking place on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, in easy view of the luxury yachts moored in the harbor, the Monaco Grand Prix has become synonymous with the glitz and glamor associated with F1 – Kylian Mbappé, Jeff Bezos and Naomi Campbell were among the celebrities in attendance on Sunday. Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 25 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for moor

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of moor was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Moor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moor. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

moor

1 of 3 noun
: 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
: one of a North African people that conquered Spain in the 8th century and ruled until 1492
Moorish 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)"

More from Merriam-Webster on moor

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