moor
v.v. to tie a boat or ship to a fixed object so it stays in one place. You usually do this at a dock or by using an anchor.
v. to secure a vessel or aircraft in a particular place by means of cables, anchors, or lines. Often used in nautical contexts; requires a direct object when used transitively.
We need to moor the boat before the storm starts.
The captain decided to moor the yacht in the quiet bay overnight to avoid the rough sea.
After navigating the narrow channel, the crew worked quickly to moor the vessel to the heavy iron rings embedded in the stone quay.
From Middle English More, Moore, from Old French More (modern French Maure), from Latin Maurus (“a Moor, meaning a Mauretanian, an inhabitant of Mauretania”), from Ancient Greek Μαυρούσιος (Mauroúsios, “Mauretanian”). Doublet of Moro.
The verb can be used transitively ('moor the boat') or intransitively ('the boat moors at the pier').