What does "tor" mean?
A craggy outcrop of rock on the summit of a hill, created by the erosion and weathering of rock.
Tor
/tɔː/ adj, name, noun
adj, name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A craggy outcrop of rock on the summit of a hill, created by the erosion and weathering of rock.
- Grammar: tor is listed as adj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: alp, crag, crest, everest.
- Useful contrasts: lowland, plain, valley.
- Usage evidence: I looked round, with a chill of fear in my heart, at the huge swelling plain, mottled with the green patches of rushes. Nothing stirred over the vast expanse save a pair of ravens, which croaked loudly from a tor behind us.
How to use "tor"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tor" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tor" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tor" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tor" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tor" is acting as adj, name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "alp" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tor", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A craggy outcrop of rock on the summit of a hill, created by the erosion and weathering of rock.
"Bursdon and Welsford were then, as now, a rolling range of dreary moors, unbroken by tor or tree, […]"
- 2 Initialism of terms of reference. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, plural, plural-only
- 3 Initialism of transcript of records. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable
- 4 a high rocky hill wordnet
- 5 A hill with such rock formation.
"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."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Initialism of transcript of records, an official record of a student's or graduate's academic achievements at the college or university level, including all courses taken, grades earned, and credits. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, plural, plural-only
- 7 Initialism of terms of reference. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable
"What I am seeing is governance committees (and therefore, whole Boards) being exposed to risk through the ‘cut n paste’ development of their ToR."
- 8 a prominent rock or pile of rocks on a hill wordnet
- 9 Symbol for tons of refrigeration. alt-of, symbol, uncountable
Adjective
- 1 Alternative form of tore ("hard, difficult; strong; rich"). alt-of, alternative
Proper Noun
- 1 Abbreviation of Toronto. abbreviation, alt-of
- 2 Abbreviation of The Onion Routing, an implementation of second-generation onion routing. abbreviation, alt-of
- 3 Abbreviation of Toronto. abbreviation, alt-of
Example
"I looked round, with a chill of fear in my heart, at the huge swelling plain, mottled with the green patches of rushes. Nothing stirred over the vast expanse save a pair of ravens, which croaked loudly from a tor behind us."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tor"?
Common synonyms include: alp, crag, crest, everest, height, hill.
How do you use "tor" in a sentence?
I looked round, with a chill of fear in my heart, at the huge swelling plain, mottled with the green patches of rushes. Nothing stirred over the vast expanse save a pair of ravens, which croaked loudly from a tor behind us.
How do you pronounce "tor"?
Pronounced /tɔː/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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.
Etymology 2
Acronym of The Onion Routing.
Etymology 3
Clipping of Toronto.
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