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Moors
Moors nomadic people of the northern shores of Africa, originally the inhabitants of Mauretania. They were chiefly of Berber and Arab stock. In the 8th cent. the Moors were converted to Islam and became fanatic Muslims. They spread SW into Africa (see Mauritania ) and NW into Spain. Under Tarik ibn Ziyad they crossed to Gibraltar in 711 and easily overran the crumbling Visigothic kingdom of Roderick . They spread beyond the Pyrenees into France, where they were turned back at Tours by Charles Martel (732). In 756, Abd ar-Rahman I established the Umayyad dynasty at Córdoba. This emirate became under Abd ar-Rahman III the caliphate of Córdoba. The court there grew in wealth, splendor, and culture. The regent al- Mansur in the late 10th cent. waged bitter warfare with the Christians of N Spain, where, from the beginning, the Moorish conquest had met with its only opposition. The cities of the south, Toledo, Córdoba, and Seville, speedily became centers of the new culture and were famed for their universities and architectural treasures (see Moorish art and architecture ). With the exception of brief periods, there was, however, no strong central government; the power was split up among dissenting local leaders and factions. The caliphate fell in 1031, and the Almoravids in 1086 took over Moorish Spain, which was throughout the whole period closely connected in rule with Morocco. Almoravid control slowly declined and by 1174 was supplanted by the Almohads . These successive waves of invasion had brought into Spain thousands of skilled Moorish artisans and industrious farmers who contributed largely to the intermittent prosperity of the country. They were killed or expelled in large numbers (to the great loss of Spain) in the Christian reconquest, which began with the recovery of Toledo (1085) by Alfonso VI , king of León and Castile. The great Christian victory (1212) of Navas de Tolosa prepared the way for the downfall of the Muslims. Córdoba fell to Ferdinand III of Castile in 1236. The wars went on, and one by one the Moorish strongholds fell, until only Granada remained in their hands. Málaga was taken (1487) after a long siege by the forces of Ferdinand and Isabella, and in 1492 Granada was recovered. Many of the Moors remained in Spain; those who remained faithful to Islam were called Mudejares, while those who accepted Christianity were called Moriscos . They were allowed to stay in Spain but were kept under close surveillance. They were persecuted by Philip II, revolted in 1568, and in the Inquisition were virtually exterminated. In 1609 the remaining Moriscos were expelled. Thus the glory of the Moorish civilization in Spain was gradually extinguished. Its contributions to Western Europe and especially to Spain were almost incalculable—in art and architecture, medicine and science, and learning (especially ancient Greek learning).
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"Moors." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Moors." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Moors.html "Moors." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Moors.html |
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moor
moor1 / ˈmoŏr/ • n. a tract of open uncultivated upland; a heath. ∎ a tract of such land preserved for shooting: a grouse moor. ∎ a fen. DERIVATIVES: moor·ish adj. moor·y adj. moor2 • v. [tr.] (often be moored) make fast (a vessel) to the shore or to an anchor: twenty or so fishing boats were moored to the pier. ∎ [intr.] (of a boat) be made fast somewhere in this way: we moored alongside a jetty. DERIVATIVES: moor·age / ˈmoŏrij/ n. |
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"moor." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "moor." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-moor005.html "moor." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-moor005.html |
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moor
moor An acidic area, usually high-lying and with peat development, and most typically dominated by low-growing ericaceous shrubs (especially Vaccinium myrtillus, bilberry), though including grass and sedge-dominated areas. In many respects the terms ‘moor’ and ‘heath’ are interchangeable. A. G. Tansley (1939) maintained a traditional distinction between upland and lowland heaths, as opposed to heather moors, which have deeper peat development rather than any distinctive floral characteristics. Compare HEATHLAND.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "moor." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "moor." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-moor.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "moor." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-moor.html |
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moor
moor An acidic area, usually high-lying and with peat development, and most typically dominated by low-growing ericaceous shrubs (especially Vaccinium myrtillus, bilberry), though including grass and sedge-dominated areas. In many respects the terms ‘moor’ and ‘heath’ are interchangeable. A. G.Tansley (1939) maintained a traditional distinction between upland and lowland heaths, as opposed to heather moors, which have deeper peat development rather than any distinctive floral characteristics. Compare heathland.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "moor." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "moor." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-moor.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "moor." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-moor.html |
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Moor
Moor a member of a NW African Muslim people of mixed Berber and Arab descent. In the 8th century they conquered the Iberian peninsula, but were finally driven out of their last stronghold in Granada at the end of the 15th century.
In the Middle Ages, and as late as the 17th century, the Moors were commonly supposed to be mostly black or very dark-skinned; the name was thus sometimes used in the sense ‘a black person’. The name comes from Old French More, via Latin from Greek Mauros ‘inhabitant of Mauretania’. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Moor." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Moor." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Moor.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Moor." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Moor.html |
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Moors
Moors Predominantly Berber people of nw Africa. In Europe, the name applies particularly to the North African Muslims who invaded Spain in 711, and established a distinctive civilization that lasted nearly 800 years. It was at its height under the Cordoba caliphs in the 10th and 11th centuries. The Christian rulers of n Spain gradually reconquered the country until, after the Almohad Empire broke up in the 13th century, Granada alone survived. Granada itself fell in 1492. See also Alhambra
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"Moors." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Moors." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Moors.html "Moors." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Moors.html |
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Moor
Moor A member of a Muslim people of mixed Berber and Arab descent, inhabiting north-west Africa and southern Spain from the 8th to the 15th centuries. Their name is derived from a Greek word (Mauros) for the inhabitants of ancient Mauretania. The Moorish period in Spain was the zenith of Islamic culture, especially in architecture. The Alhambra (in Granada) and the Great Mosque (in Cordoba) are among their most celebrated creations.
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"Moor." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Moor." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-Moor.html "Moor." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-Moor.html |
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Moor
Moor / moŏr/ • n. a member of a northwestern African Muslim people of mixed Berber and Arab descent. In the 8th century they conquered the Iberian peninsula, but were finally driven out of their last stronghold in Granada at the end of the 15th century. DERIVATIVES: Moor·ish adj. |
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"Moor." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Moor." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-moor.html "Moor." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-moor.html |
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Moor
Moor (in ancient times) native of Mauretania, (later) of north-west Africa XIV. ME. More — (O)F. More, (mod.) Maure — L. Maurus, medL. Mōrus — Gr. Maûros.
Hence Moorish XV (morys). |
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T. F. HOAD. "Moor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "Moor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-Moor.html T. F. HOAD. "Moor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-Moor.html |
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moor
moor1 tract of unenclosed waste ground. OE. mōr waste land, marsh, mountain, corr. to OS. mōr marsh, (M)Du. moer, (M)LG. mōr, OHG. muor :- Gmc. *mōraz, *mōram, rel. to MERE1. comp. moorland OE mōrland.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "moor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "moor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-moor.html T. F. HOAD. "moor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-moor.html |
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moor
moor v.
1. (often be moored) make fast (a vessel) to the shore or to an anchor: twenty or so fishing boats were moored to the pier. 2. (of a boat) be made fast somewhere in this way: we moored alongside a jetty. |
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"moor." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "moor." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-moor.html "moor." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-moor.html |
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moor
moor2 secure a floating boat, etc., to a fixed place. XV. prob. — (M)LG. mōren; cf. OE. mǣrels, mārels mooring-rope, MDu. vbs. māren, mēren (Du. meren), moeren.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "moor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "moor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-moor1.html T. F. HOAD. "moor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-moor1.html |
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moor
moor An acidic, usually upland area, commonly with peat development, dominated by low-growing heaths and heathers, with some areas dominated by grasses and sedges.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "moor." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "moor." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-moor.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "moor." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-moor.html |
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moor
moor •abjure, adjure, allure, amour, assure, Bahawalpur, boor, Borobudur, Cavour, coiffure, conjure, couture, cure, dastur, de nos jours, doublure, dour, embouchure, endure, ensure, enure, gravure, immature, immure, impure, inure, Jaipur, Koh-i-noor, Kultur, liqueur, lure, manure, mature, moor, Moore, Muir, mure, Nagpur, Namur, obscure, photogravure, plat du jour, Pompadour, procure, pure, rotogravure, Ruhr, Saussure, secure, simon-pure, spoor, Stour, sure, tour, Tours, velour, Yom Kippur, you're
•tambour • prefecture • caricature
•armature
•tamandua, tandoor
•Dartmoor • Exmoor • Hawksmoor
•paramour • Papua • Jabalpur
•Manipur • Jodhpur • Kuala Lumpur
•Kolhapur • Karlsruhe • Joshua
•cynosure • Fraktur • détour • contour
•Padua
•jaguar, Managua, Nicaragua
•vacua • valuer • Langmuir • mantua
•arguer • residua
•continua, continuer
•pedicure • manicure • sinecure
•epicure • conure
•bordure, ordure
•Saumur • nunciature • overture
•couverture • coverture • purpure
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"moor." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "moor." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-moor.html "moor." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-moor.html |
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