tor

Definition

A craggy outcrop of rock on the summit of a hill, created by the erosion and weathering of rock.

Etymology

From Middle English tor, torr-, from Old English torr, tor (“a high rock, lofty hill, tower”), possibly from Proto-Celtic, compare Old Welsh *tor (“hill”); ultimately from Latin turris (“tower”), from Ancient Greek τύρρις (túrrhis), τύρσις (túrsis, “tower”), of non-Indo-European origin. Cognate with Cornish tor, Scottish Gaelic tòrr, Welsh twr, Irish tor, French tor, and Romansch tor/tur/tuor; the first four are Celtic (from Latin turris), the last two directly from Latin turris (from Ancient Greek τύρρις (túrrhis) and τύρσις (túrsis)). It is not clear whether the Celtic forms were borrowed from Old English or vice versa. Doublet of tourelle, tower, and turret.

Example Sentences

• "Bursdon and Welsford were then, as now, a rolling range of dreary moors, unbroken by tor or tree, […]"
• "The moon was low upon the right, and the jagged pinnacle of a granite tor stood up against the lower curve of its silver disc."
• "She had slipped the letters into her pocket next to the packet of antique documents and had taken an umbrella—as the sky was ominous out over the distant tors—and strolled around the manor house and down the road toward the village."