An area of open, uncultivated upland typically covered with heather and coarse grasses, or to secure a boat or ship in place. Can also refer historically to a Muslim inhabitant of northwest Africa.
The landscape sense comes from Old English 'mor' meaning 'marsh' or 'wasteland.' The nautical sense derives from Middle Dutch 'maren' meaning 'to tie.' The ethnic term comes from Latin 'Maurus,' referring to inhabitants of Mauretania in North Africa.
The English moors are actually human-made landscapes - they were once covered in forests that were cleared thousands of years ago, and the distinctive heather moorland is maintained by sheep grazing and controlled burning. Without this management, most moors would revert to woodland within decades.
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