mooring

noun moor·ing \ -iŋ \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of mooring

1 : an act of making fast a boat or aircraft with lines or anchors

2 a : a place where or an object to which something (such as a craft) can be moored

b : a device (such as a line or chain) by which an object is secured in place

3 : an established practice or stabilizing influence : anchorage 2 —usually used in plural

See mooring defined for English-language learners

See mooring defined for kids

Examples of mooring in a Sentence

We found a temporary mooring in the harbor.
The wind was strong enough to tear the boat from its moorings.

Recent Examples of mooring from the Web

And, on another scoring play, the luckless Rask was unable to get the officials to notice a) that the goal had come off its moorings, and b) that the blade had come off one of his skates.

— charles p. pierce, SI.com, "There's a Silver Lining in Having So Many Complaints About NHL Playoff Officiating," 7 May 2018
The 23 pieces include both gold formations still clinging to the quartz stones on which they were found and pieces removed from their rocky moorings.

— susan dunne, courant.com, "Yale Peabody Displays 'California Gold'," 6 May 2018
Nearby, Seymour’s Boatyard has 500 moorings, including 20 transient spots available for a minimum two-hour stay, for overnight or for the season.

— marcelle sussman fischler, New York Times, "Northport, N.Y.: Old-Time Charm in a Waterfront Village," 2 May 2018
The six missions, which will be conducted over the next several years, will cost $25 million and feature a combination of drones, submarines, satellites, aircraft, ocean moorings, and in-person expeditions.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "British and American Expedition Will Study the World's Most At-Risk Glacier," 1 May 2018
And every time a star started to fall or a continent began to slip its moorings, veteran point guard George Hill stabilized the Brave New World Without LeBron.

— bill livingston, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Cavaliers 2018: It took 45 points by LeBron James to win Game 7 -- Bill Livingston," 29 Apr. 2018
Much to the dismay of weekend yachtsmen, continuous cruisers also tend to hog the best public moorings in London and Bath, and that has drawn the attention of the CRT.

— dan neil, WSJ, "The Low-Cost Way to Live Abroad: Buy a Boat," 30 Mar. 2018
What’s different about the latest project is the combined benefit of the blimp being able to lift an industry-leading 60 tons, but without any requirement for mooring pylons.

— Bloomberg.com, "‘Flying Whale’ Blimp That Never Lands Joins Global Airship Race," 27 Mar. 2018
Several moorings ended on or near a dock that is part of an entirely separate lease, according to the report.

— lynda v. mapes, The Seattle Times, "Cooke Aquaculture inspection finds problems at 2 other Atlantic salmon pens," 17 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mooring.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of mooring

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Nautical Terms

avast, aweigh, flotsam, jib, keel, lee, port, starboard, stay

MOORING Defined for English Language Learners

mooring

noun

Definition of mooring for English Language Learners

: a place where a boat or ship can be anchored or moored
moorings : the anchors, ropes, and cables that are used to hold a boat or ship in place

MOORING Defined for Kids

mooring

noun moor·ing \ ˈmu̇r-iŋ \

Definition of mooring for Students

1 : a place where a boat can be fastened so it will not float away

2 : a chain or line used to hold a boat in place

Learn More about mooring

See words that rhyme with mooring Spanish Central: Translation of mooring Nglish: Translation of mooring for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of mooring for Arabic speakers

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Definition of mooring

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MOORING Defined for English Language Learners

mooring

Definition of mooring for English Language Learners

MOORING Defined for Kids

mooring

Definition of mooring for Students

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MOORING Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of mooring for English Language Learners

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Definition of mooring for Students

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