Moorage

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A designated place where boats or ships are securely tied or anchored to prevent drifting
2. A specific area or spot along a shore or dock used for keeping watercraft in position
3. An assigned location providing a stable point for vessels to be fastened while not in use

Etymology: Moorage is a plain compound of two English parts. The first is "moor," the verb meaning to secure a boat or ship with ropes or anchors, which is an old English word. The second is the suffix "-age," which came into English through Old French from Latin roots, and which in English usually forms nouns meaning a place for, or the cost of, a particular action or thing. Put together, "moorage" names the place where a vessel is moored, or the fee paid for mooring there. The word is an English formation built from these two pieces rather than a borrowing, so its story is mostly the story of its suffix. Nothing in the record points to a dramatic shift in meaning: the sense of a dock or berth for boats has stayed close to the verb it grew from.

Synonyms: dock, berth, harbor, port, marina