mooring

views updated Jun 11 2018

moor·ing / ˈmoŏring/ • n. (often moorings) a place where a boat or ship is moored: the boat had been at its usual moorings immediately prior to the storm. ∎  the ropes, chains, or anchors by or to which a boat, ship, or buoy is moored: the great ship slipped its moorings and slid out into the Atlantic. ∎  fig. the ideas, beliefs, or habits to which one is accustomed and from which one gains security or stability: we can lose our spiritual moorings and drift into uncertain waters.