# moorings

/ˈmɔɹɪŋz/ (US) · /mˈɔːɹɪŋz/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/moorings
Updated: 2026-10-16

## Definition

a safe place where a boat is tied up with ropes or chains. You also use it for the ropes that hold the boat still.

For teachers: a fixed place equipped for securing a vessel by anchor, buoy, or lines to shore; by extension, the lines or tackle used to secure it. Often used figuratively for stabilizing beliefs or ties that give life steadiness.

## Examples

- The boats rest safely at their moorings.
- We pay a yearly fee to keep our sailboat at the harbour moorings near the lighthouse.
- After years abroad, returning to his childhood village gave him new moorings, a sense of stability he had lost.

## Synonyms

berth, dock, slip

## Usage notes

- Commonly used in the plural to refer to a mooring place or to stabilizing ties.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.