Moor, n.2
(mʊə(r), mɔə(r))
Forms: 4 Maur, 4–7 More, 5 Moure, Mowre, 6, 8 Maure, 6–7 Moore, 7– Moor.
[ME. More, a. F. More (13th c.), Maure, ad. L. Maurus (med.L. Mōrus), Gr. Μαῦρος. Cf. Sp., Pg., It. Moro; MDu. Moor, Moer (Du. Moor), OHG. Môr, pl. Môrî (MHG. Môr, Mœr, mod.G. Mohr).
The L. Maurus, Gr. Μαῦρος may possibly be from some ancient North African language. Some believe the word to be merely a use of Gr. µαῦρος black (which on this view is aphetic from ἀµαυρός blind); but this adj. (or at least this sense of it) is confined to late Gr., and may even be derived from the ethnic name.]
1. In Ancient History, a native of Mauretania, a region of Northern Africa corresponding to parts of Morocco and Algeria. In later times, one belonging to the people of mixed Berber and Arab race, Muslim in religion, who constitute the bulk of the population of North-western Africa, and who in the 8th c. conquered Spain. In the Middle Ages, and as late as the 17th c., the Moors were commonly supposed to be mostly black or very swarthy (though the existence of ‘white Moors’ was recognized), and hence the word was often used for ‘Negro’; cf. blackamoor.
| 1390 Gower Conf. I. 98 Ther was no grace in the visage,..Sche loketh forth as doth a More. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P. R. xix. ix. (1495) 869 Also men of the nacyon of Maurys theyr blacke colour comyth of the inner partyes. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) xiv 156 Ethiope is departed in 2 princypalle parties;..the..partie meridionelle is clept Moretane. And the folk of that Contree ben blake..and thei ben clept Mowres. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xxvi. 565 He was soo angry for it, that he became as blacke as a moure. 1512 in Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scotl. (1902) IV. 338 Item,..to the Bischop of Murrais more, at brocht ane present to the King..xiiijs. 1547 Boorde Introd. Knowl. xxxvi. (1870) 212 Barbary..the inhabytours be Called the Mores: ther be whyte mores and black moors. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VII 23 b, Granado, which many yeres had bene possessed of the Moores or Mawritane nacion. 1555 W. Watreman Fardle Facions i. iv. 48 The reste of the people of Libia westward..are called Maures, or Moores. 1555 Eden Decades 355 Ethiopes, which we nowe caule Moores, Moorens, or Negros. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. iii. v. 42, I shall answere that better to the Commonwealth, than you can the getting vp of the Negroes bellie: the Moore is with childe by you Launcelet? 1609 Ro. C. Muley Hamets Rising title p., The Religion and Policie of the More, or Barbarian. 1613 Middleton Triumphs of Truth C 1, I being a Moore; then in Opinions lightnesse As far from Sanctity as my Face from whitenesse. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 687 The Sea coast-Moores, called by a general name Baduini. 1632 Lithgow Trav. v. 232 A Towne inhabited by Christians, Arabs, and Moores: not blacke Moores, as the Affricans be, but..a kinde of Egyptians. 1647 Cowley Mistr., Not Fair, A very Moor (methinks) plac'd near to Thee, White as his Teeth, would seem to be. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Moor, or Black⁓moor, a native of Mauritania, in Africa. 1707 M. Henry Expos. Exod. ii. 5, etc., Pity so fair a Child should suck the Brest of a Tawny-more. 1728 Eliza Heywood tr. Mme. de Gomez's Belle A. (1732) II. 121 Mezemorte was extremely diverted at the recital, in what manner the Maure had been entertain'd. 1776 J. Richardson Arab. Gram. 4 The Mauritanick [hand], which is used by the Moors of Morocco and Barbary. 1849 James Woodman iv, A tawny Moor with silver bracelets on his arms, and a turban on his head. 1904 Athenæum 2 July 20/1 Another discussion has arisen on the origin..of the term ‘Moor’... M. Bloch finds the expression used in five different senses, as applying to the mixed race inhabiting the towns of Algeria and Tunisia, the mountain tribes of Morocco on the Algerian frontier, and the nomadic tribes of Western Sahara... M. Delisle..thinks that those called Moors have never been either black or the descendants of black races. |
2. A Muslim,
esp. a Muslim inhabitant of India. (
Cf. Moors.)
| 1588 Hickock tr. Frederick's Voy. 23 And wheras I speak of Moores I meane Mahomets sect. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts 462, I haue heard a story of an Englishman in Barbary which turned Moore. 1697 W. Dampier Voy. I. 507 A Town of the Moors; which name our Seamen give to all Subjects of the great Mogul, but especially his Mahometan Subjects. 1763 Scrafton Indostan (1770) 18 The word Moors is used by us to express the Mahometans of all sects and countries who are settled in India. 1864 Trevelyan Compet. Wallah (1866) 251 In those days the rank and file of our army always spoke of the inhabitants of India by the appellation of ‘Moors’. |
3. attrib. and
Comb., as
Moor-lass,
Moor-tabroner;
Moor bridle, a kind of bridle used by Moors;
Moor dance (see
quot.);
Moor-lipped a., having thick lips like those of a Moor;
Moor macaque, monkey, the black macaque,
Macacus maurus;
Moor saddle, a Moorish saddle.
| 1704 Lond. Gaz. No. 4056/8 A *Moor Bridle and Saddle. |
| 1801 Strutt Sports & Past. iii. v. 171 The Morisco or *Moor dance is exceedingly different from the morris⁓dance,..being performed with the castanets, or rattles, at the end of the fingers, and not with bells attached to various parts of the dress. |
| 1504 in Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scotl. (1900) II. 465 Item, for hors to the *More lasses. Ibid. 469 Quhen the More las wes cristinit. |
| 1639 Massinger Unnat. Combat iv. i, *Moore lip'd, flat nos'd, dimme ey'd [etc.]. |
| 1906 Westm. Gaz. 26 Oct. 8/3 The *Moor Macaque, a stump-tailed Indian monkey. |
| 1885 Cassell's Encycl. Dict., *Moor-monkey. |
| 1504 in Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scotl. (1900) II. 430 Item,..to the *More taubronar, to his expens maid be the Morienis, viij Franch crounis. |