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Dartmoor

Dartmoor

1 6.2
A large wild moorland area in Devon, England with many granite rocks
  • proper noun
  • /ˈdɑːtmɔːr/
: Dartmoor
  • Anyway, here, on Dartmoor, Devon, we've had a few days with a cm or so of snow on the ground and quite a bit of frost, but Dec 1981 this isn't -- and it's nothing like as cold as Feb 85.
  • Dartmoor National Park
  • Dartmoor pony

Examples

  • The rugged landscape of Dartmoor attracts hikers and nature lovers from all over the country.

  • Yeah, you said you'd never been to Dartmoor before.

    Dartmoor Killing (2015)

  • I work on Dartmoor, outdoor pursuits.

    Dartmoor Killing (2015)

  • We've had 'white' Christmases on Dartmoor several times in recent years.

    Blog text (14)

  • A Dartmoor pony grows a shaggy coat in winter and sheds it in summer.

    Academic text (1995)

  • We live on Dartmoor, but as ex-travellers, we have a permanent 'itch', so we took two months out to live under canvas from here to the Western Isles and back.

    Blog text (25)

  • We spent the weekend camping on Dartmoor, enjoying the fresh air and beautiful scenery.

  • The unique granite tors found on Dartmoor make it a popular destination for rock climbers.

Surface Forms

Dartmoor main

Morphology

Dartmoor = Dart + moor (semi-transparent) = Dart + moor + Dart

The element 'moor' is clearly recognizable, but 'Dart' is a river name and the compound denotes a specific place, so the full place-name meaning is not fully predictable for learners.

Etymology

Dartmoor comes from the name of the River Dart plus the word moor, which means 'open, wild land'. So Dartmoor is the moorland by the River Dart, which helps explain its rough, lonely landscape.