moor

moor — noun

1. a large area of high, open land where wild grasses and low bushes grow instead o

1.nounB2
Definition

a large area of high, open land where wild grasses and low bushes grow instead of crops or trees, typical of parts of Britain

Example

Yan walked across the moor every morning, following a narrow path through the heather.

walk across the moor / through the heather

Sheep grazed on the misty moors of northern England throughout the summer.

the moors of [region] — location pattern

Common collocations
  • across the moor
  • on the moor
  • misty moor
  • open moor
  • the Yorkshire moors
Synonyms
  • heath

    refers to flatter, drier land with sandy soil and low shrubs, less hilly than a moor

  • upland

    broader term for any high ground; does not specify the vegetation or wild character

Grammar Patterns

the moor

the moors

Usage Note

This landscape term is used mainly in British English to describe upland areas in northern England, Scotland, Wales, and parts of Ireland. In American English, similar land is more often called 'prairie', 'plains', or 'rangeland'. The uncountable form 'moorland' describes this type of landscape in general rather than a specific area.

Common Mistakes

The train passed across a dark moorland.
The train passed across a dark moor.
'Moorland' is uncountable and describes the landscape type, not a specific area. Use 'moor' (countable) or 'moorland area' for a particular place.
The cowboy crossed the moor on his horse.
The cowboy crossed the plains on his horse.
'Moor' is a British landscape feature; North American landscapes are described with different terms.

2. a person belonging to the Muslim civilisation from North Africa that controlled

2.nounB2
Definition

a person belonging to the Muslim civilisation from North Africa that controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula from the early 700s until the late 1400s

Example

The Moors built the Alhambra palace in Granada, now one of Spain's most visited landmarks.

the Moors built — architectural legacy pattern

Élise studied how the Moors introduced new irrigation systems and citrus farming to southern Spain.

the Moors introduced — cultural influence pattern

Common collocations
  • the Moors
  • Moorish architecture
  • under the Moors
  • Moorish Spain
  • Moorish rule
Synonyms
  • Berber

    broader ethnic group from North Africa; not all Berbers were part of the Moorish civilisation that ruled Spain

  • Muslim

    much broader religious term covering any follower of Islam, not specifically the medieval Spanish rulers

Grammar Patterns

the Moors

a Moor

Usage Note

This term is always written with a capital letter: 'Moor' (singular) and 'Moors' (plural). It refers specifically to the medieval North African civilisation that ruled in the Iberian Peninsula. Do not use it to describe modern people from North Africa — use 'Moroccan', 'Algerian', or the specific nationality instead.

Common Mistakes

The moor built a beautiful mosque.
The Moor built a beautiful mosque.
The ethnic/historical term requires a capital letter. Lowercase 'moor' means open countryside, not a person.

moor — verb

Word family

  • mooring
    nounB2
  • moored
    adjectiveB2
  • moorland
    nounC1
  • Moorish
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe securing a boat so it stays in place, but they differ in what they focus on. 'Moor' is the broadest term — it covers tying to a dock, anchoring in open water, or fastening to a buoy. 'Anchor' specifically means lowering a heavy metal hook to the seabed, and is also used figuratively ('anchor a news programme'). 'Dock' means bringing a boat alongside a fixed structure such as a harbour wall or pier — more specific than mooring. 'Tie up' is the everyday informal term used in marinas and small harbours. For example: 'We moored the yacht to a buoy in the bay' (general), 'The captain docked the ferry at the terminal' (specific location), 'They anchored in the cove for the night' (open water), and 'Tie your boat up over there, next to the blue one' (casual instruction).

moor ↗anchor ↗dock ↗tie up ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • moor a boat
  • moor to a dock
  • moor at a harbour
  • be moored alongside
  • moor a vessel

Prepositions

Etymology

GermanicOld EnglishEnglishLatinFrenchDutch

The word 'moor' has three separate origins. The landscape noun comes from Old English 'mōr', meaning marsh, fen, or high ground, and is related to German 'Moor' (bog). The ethnic noun comes via French from Latin 'Maurus', meaning a person from Mauretania (modern-day Algeria and Morocco). The verb comes from Middle English 'moren', probably borrowed from Middle Dutch 'maren' meaning to fasten or tie — these three meanings are historically unrelated and happen to share the same spelling in modern English.