moer

See also: möer and mör

English

Etymology

From Afrikaans moer.

Verb

moer (third-person singular simple present moers, present participle moering, simple past and past participle moered)

1. (South Africa, transitive) To beat; to thrash.

Noun

moer (plural moers)

1. (South Africa) Something big or powerful; a whopper; a hell of a thing.
   • 2003, Justin Nurse, Chris Verrijdt, Laugh it Off Annual: South African Youth Culture, volume 1, page 71:

     Lying dead on the surface of the Monument dam was a moer of a big carp.

   • 2013, Jim Hooper, Koevoet: Experiencing South Africa's Deadly Bush War, page 239:

     “Some of the teams are coming in,” he said. “They had a moer of a contact. Get your cameras and let's go.”

Anagrams

• -more, More, Rome, Moré, mero, Mero, omer, Omer, erom, Orme, mero-, more, Orem

Afrikaans

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [muːr]

Etymology 1

From Dutch moer.

Noun

moer (plural moere)

1. nut: female screw, which fits on a bolt

   Ek draai die moer vas

2. seed tuber

Etymology 2

From Dutch moer.

Noun

moer (uncountable)

1. dregs, lees, sediment (of liquid)

Etymology 3

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Verb

moer (present moer, present participle moerende, past participle gemoer)

1. to hit someone very hard

   Ek gaan jou hard moer. ― I'm gonna beat the shit out of you.

Descendants

• → English: moer

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mur/, [muːr]
• Hyphenation: moer
• Rhymes: -ur

Etymology 1

Contraction of moeder (“mother”) by regular syncope of medial /d/ (compare broer, blij, leer, la). Compare sense 2 with French mère de vinaigre.

Noun

moer f (plural moeren, diminutive moertje n)

1. (rare, archaic) mother
3. sediment formed in various alcoholic drinks and vinegar
4. a queen bee
5. a female hare
6. a female rabbit
7. a female ferret, a jill
8. the main in a structure; general version

Synonyms

• (mother): moeder, ma, mama
• (queen bee): bijenkoningin
• (female hare): moershaas
• (female rabbit): moerkonijn

Derived terms

• de duvel en zijn ouwe moer
• hellemoer
• moerbeest
• moerkonijn
• moerriool
• moershaas
• moerstaal

Descendants

• → Papiamentu: moer (dated)

Etymology 2

A shortening of moerschroef, from moer (“mother”) +‎ schroef (“bolt”).

Noun

moer f (plural moeren, diminutive moertje n)

1. a type of fastener with a threaded hole; a nut
2. (informal) something small and insignificant (in the phrase geen moer)

   Het kan me geen moer schelen.

   I do not care at all.

Derived terms

• geen moer
• moerbout
• moeren
• moerschroef
• moersleutel

Descendants

• → Caribbean Javanese: mur
• → Indonesian: mur
• → Papiamentu: mur, moer

Etymology 3

From Middle Dutch moer (“morass”), from Old Dutch *mōr, from Proto-West Germanic *mōr, from Proto-Germanic *mōraz. Related to meer (“lake”). Cognate with English moor, Old English mōr (“moor, marsh”).

Noun

moer n (plural moeren, diminutive moertje n)

2. morass, marsh, peat

Related terms

• moeren

Etymology 4

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Noun

moer ?

1. alternative form of muur (“chickweed”)

References

• van Veen, P.A.F.; van der Sijs, Nicoline (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden (in Dutch), Utrecht; Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie, →ISBN

Anagrams

• more, roem, Rome

French

Noun

moer f (plural moers)

1. morass

Galician

Moendo millo ("milling corn") in a traditional watermill

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese moer, from Latin molere (“to mill”), from Proto-Indo-European *melh₂- (“to grind, crush”). Compare Portuguese moer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /moˈeɾ/

Verb

moer (first-person singular present moio, first-person singular preterite moín, past participle moído, short past participle mudo)
moer (first-person singular present moo, first-person singular preterite moim or moí, past participle moído, short past participle mudo, reintegrationist norm)

1. (transitive) to mill
2. (transitive) to grind, to crush

Conjugation

    Conjugation of moer (irregular; irregular short past participle)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti)	Third-person (el / ela / Vde.)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / Vdes.)
Infinitive
Impersonal	moer
Personal	moer	moeres	moer	moermos	moerdes	moeren
Gerund
	moendo
Short past participle
Masculine	mudo1			mudos1
Feminine	muda1			mudas1
Long past participle
Masculine	moído2			moídos2
Feminine	moída2			moídas2
Indicative
Present	moio	moes	moe	moemos	moedes	moen
Imperfect	moía	moías	moía	moïamos	moïades	moían
Preterite	moín	moíches	moeu	moemos	moestes	moeron
Pluperfect	moera	moeras	moera	moeramos	moerades	moeran
Future	moerei	moerás	moerá	moeremos	moeredes	moerán
Conditional	moería	moerías	moería	moeriamos	moeriades	moerían
Subjunctive
Present	moia	moias	moia	moiamos	moiades	moian
Imperfect	moese	moeses	moese	moésemos	moésedes	moesen
Future	moer	moeres	moer	moermos	moerdes	moeren
Imperative
Affirmative		moe	moia	moiamos	moede	moian
Negative (non)		non moias	non moia	non moiamos	non moiades	non moian

¹Usually used with auxiliary verbs ser and estar.
²Usually used with auxiliary verbs haber and ter.

    Reintegrated conjugation of moer (irregular; irregular short past participle) (See Appendix:Reintegrationism)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti / tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	moer
Personal	moer	moeres	moer	moermos	moerdes	moerem
Gerund
	moendo
Short past participle
Masculine	mudo1			mudos1
Feminine	muda1			mudas1
Long past participle
Masculine	moído2			moídos2
Feminine	moída2			moídas2
Indicative
Present	moo, moio3	móis	mói	moemos	moedes, moeis	moem
Imperfect	moía	moías	moía	moíamos	moíades, moíeis, moíais3	moíam
Preterite	moim, moí	moeste, moeche3	moeu	moemos	moestes	moêrom, moeram
Pluperfect	moera	moeras	moera	moêramos	moêrades, moêreis, moêrais3	moeram
Future	moerei	moerás	moerá	moeremos	moeredes, moereis	moerám, moerão
Conditional	moeria	moerias	moeria	moeríamos	moeríades, moeríeis, moeríais3	moeriam
Subjunctive
Present	moa, moia3	moas, moias3	moa, moia3	moamos, moiamos3	moades, moais, moiades3	moam, moiam3
Imperfect	moesse	moesses	moesse	moêssemos	moêssedes, moêsseis	moessem
Future	moer	moeres	moer	moermos	moerdes	moerem
Imperative
Affirmative		mói	moa, moia3	moamos, moiamos3	moede, moei	moam, moiam3
Negative (nom)		nom moas, nom moias3	nom moa, nom moia3	nom moamos, nom moiamos3	nom moades, nom moais, nom moiades3	nom moam, nom moiam3

¹Usually used with auxiliary verbs ser and estar.
²Usually used with auxiliary verbs haver and ter.
³Less recommended.

Related terms

• amoado (“liquid dough; mixture”)
• moa (“molar; millstone”)
• moenda (“action of milling”)
• mudo
• muíña (“chaff”)
• muiñeira (“Galician traditional dance and bagpipe music”)
• muíño (“mill”)

References

• Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “moer”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “moer”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “moer”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• “moer”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2026
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “moer”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From Middle High German mager, from Old High German magar, from Proto-West Germanic *magr. Cognate with German mager, Dutch mager, Icelandic magur; also related to English meagre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmoːer/, [ˈmoː.ɐ]

Adjective

moer (masculine moren or moeren, neuter moert, comparative méi moer, superlative am moersten)

1. lean
2. skinny, meagre

Declension

Declension of moer

		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		hien ass moer	si ass moer	et ass moer	si si(nn) moer
nominative / accusative	attributive and/or after determiner	moeren	moer	moert	moer
	independent without determiner			moeres	moerer
dative	after any declined word	moeren	moerer	moeren	moeren
	as first declined word	moerem		moerem

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

moer

1. indefinite plural of mo m
2. indefinite plural of moe m

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

moer f

1. obsolete spelling of mor
   • 1669, “Højr nu kiær SIRI mi”, in Den fyrste morgonblånen, Oslo: Novus, published 1990, page 48:

     højr Moer æg nu mæ dæg til Kioppinhaffn vil fara

     listen, Mother: Now I want to go to Copenhagen with you

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Latin molere.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɾ

Verb

moer

1. to mill
2. to grind, crush

Conjugation

Conjugation of moer

infinitive				moer
gerund		simple		*moendo
		compound		gerund of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
past participle				singular		plural
		masculine		*moído		*moídos
		feminine		*moída		*moídas
present participle				*moente		*moentes
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative mood		eu ei	tu	el~ele ela	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	eles elas
simple tenses	present	*moo	móes	*mol, móe	*moemos	*moedes	*moen
	imperfect	*moía	*moías	*moía	*moïamos, *moíamos	*moïades, *moíades	*moían
	preterite	*molve, *moí, *moin	*molvéste, *molviste, *molvésche, *molvische, *molvéche, *molviche, *moeste, *moíste, *moesche, *moísche, *moeche, *moíche	*molve, *moeu, *moeo, *moío, *moiu	*molvémos, *moemos	*molvédes, *moestes	*molvéron, *moeron
	pluperfect	*molvéra, *moera	*molvéras, *moeras	*molvéra, *moera	*molveramos, *molvéramos, *moeramos, *moêramos	*molverades, *molvérades, *moerades, *moêrades	*molvéran, *moeran
	future	*molrei, *moerei	*molrás, *moerás	*molrá, *moerá	*molremos, *moeremos	*molredes, moeredes	*molrán, *moerán
	conditional	*molria, *moeria	*molrias, *moerias	*molria, *moeria	*molriamos, *molríamos, *moeriamos, *moeríamos	*molriades, *molríades, *moeriades, *moeríades	*molrian, *moerian
compound tenses	present perfect	present of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	past anterior	preterite of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	pluperfect anterior	simple pluperfect of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	future perfect	future of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
subjunctive mood		eu ei	tu	el~ele ela	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	eles elas
simple tenses	present	*moa	*moas	*moa	*moamos	*moades	*moan
	imperfect	*molvésse, *moesse	*molvésses, *moesses	*molvésse, *moesse	*molvessemos, *molvéssemos, *moessemos, *moêssemos	*molvessedes, *molvéssedes, *moessedes, *moêssedes	*molvéssen, *moessen
	future	*molvér, *moer	*molvéres, *moeres	*molvér, *moer	*molvérmos, *moermos	*molvérdes, *moerdes	*molvéren, *moeren
compound tenses	present perfect	present subjunctive of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	future perfect	future subjunctive of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
imperative mood		—	tu	—	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	—
affirmative		—	*mol, *móe, mui	—	*moamos	*moede	—
negative		—	*non moas	—	*non moamos	*non moades	—
personal infinitive		eu ei	tu	el~ele ela	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	eles elas
		*moer	*moeres	*moer	*moermos	*moerdes	*moeren
1Teer and ter were also used, although all three were less common than haver.

Descendants

• Galician: moer
• Portuguese: moer

Further reading

• Universo Cantigas - "moer"

Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese moer, from Latin molere. Compare Galician moer.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /moˈe(ʁ)/ [moˈe(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /moˈe(ʁ)/ [moˈe(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /moˈe(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /moˈe(ʁ)/ [moˈe(χ)]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /moˈe(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈmweɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈmweɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈmwe.ɾi/

• Hyphenation: mo‧er

Verb

moer (first-person singular present moo, first-person singular preterite moí, past participle moído)

1. (transitive) to mill
2. (transitive) to grind, crush

   Synonym: esmagar

3. (figuratively, colloquial, pronominal, intransitive) to tire, exhaust

   Synonyms: cansar, fatigar

4. (figuratively, colloquial, transitive) to nag, to annoy

   Synonyms: azucrinar, atazanar, chatear

Conjugation

    Conjugation of moer (irregular) (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	moer
Personal	moer	moeres	moer	moermos	moerdes	moerem
Gerund
	moendo
Past participle
Masculine	moído			moídos
Feminine	moída			moídas
Indicative
Present	moo, môo1	móis	mói	moemos	moeis	moem
Imperfect	moía	moías	moía	moíamos	moíeis	moíam
Preterite	moí	moeste	moeu	moemos	moestes	moeram
Pluperfect	moera	moeras	moera	moêramos	moêreis	moeram
Future	moerei	moerás	moerá	moeremos	moereis	moerão
Conditional	moeria	moerias	moeria	moeríamos	moeríeis	moeriam
Subjunctive
Present	moa	moas	moa	moamos	moais	moam
Imperfect	moesse	moesses	moesse	moêssemos	moêsseis	moessem
Future	moer	moeres	moer	moermos	moerdes	moerem
Imperative
Affirmative		mói	moa	moamos	moei	moam
Negative (não)		não moas	não moa	não moamos	não moais	não moam

¹Superseded.

Derived terms

• moagem
• moedor
• moer o juízo

Related terms

• moenda
• mó
• moinho
• moleiro

Further reading

• “moer”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “moer”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026