1. an expanse of open rolling infertile land 2. a boggy area, especially one that is peaty and dominated by grasses and sedges
I think a theme is developing here… When I was in high school, the moors of Emily Brönte’s and Thomas Hardy’s novels enchanted me.
That brings to mind a favorite book from my childhood, “Lorna Doone”, which described the moors of the area. It also brings to mind that I have long thought of this word as a verb – the act of securing a boat to a dock.
Ah, yes, the verb! Thanks for mentioning it:
1. to make fast (a vessel, for example) by means of cables, anchors, or lines 2. to fix in place; secure.
Also, the capitalized Moor:
1. a member of a Muslim people of mixed Berber and Arab descent, now living chiefly in northwest Africa 2. one of the Muslims who invaded Spain in the 8th century and established a civilization in Andalusia that lasted until the late 15th century
I’ve never read “Lorna Doone.” Would you recommend it?
I also recall having a story book as a kid which had a full-page picture of a fearsome Moorish warrior with very black skin, forever making me think that all Moors had black skin, even though that picture was my only evidence of it. It’s sort of like some people’s image of a blond, blue-eyed Jesus.
As well as I can recall, I read “Lorna Doone” when I was bed-ridden with rheumatic fever as a fourth-grader. I think I was too young and impressionable for it; I was enthralled by its romanticism in the moors, and considered it my favorite book for a long time. I don’t know whether I’d recommend it to a thrity-something man, but if you decide to read it, let me know what you think.
I hope your boat never slips its moorings, by the way.