Moor, n. [OE. mor, AS. mōr moor, morass; akin to D. moer moor, G. moor, and prob. to Goth. marei sea, E. mere. See Mere a lake.] 1. An extensive waste covered with patches of heath, and having a poor, light soil, but sometimes marshy, and abounding in peat; a heath.
In her girlish age she kept sheep on the moor. Carew.
2. A game preserve consisting of moorland.
Moor buzzard(Zoöl.), the marsh harrier. — Moor coal(Geol.), a friable variety of lignite. — Moor cock(Zoöl.), the male of the moor fowl or red grouse of Europe. — Moor coot. (Zoöl.) See Gallinule. — Moor fowl. (Zoöl.) (a) The European ptarmigan, or red grouse (Lagopus Scoticus). (b) The European heath grouse. See under Heath. — Moor game. (Zoöl.) Same as Moor fowl (above). — Moor grass(Bot.), a tufted perennial grass (Sesleria cærulea), found in mountain pastures of Europe. — Moor hawk(Zoöl.), the marsh harrier. — Moor hen. (Zoöl.) (a) The female of the moor fowl. (b) A gallinule, esp. the European species. See Gallinule. (c) An Australian rail (Tribonyx ventralis). — Moor monkey(Zoöl.), the black macaque of Borneo (Macacus maurus). — Moor titling(Zoöl.), the European stonechat (Pratinocola rubicola).