mooring

Etymology

verb

1. present participle and gerund of moor

noun

1. A place to moor a vessel.
2. The act of securing a vessel with a cable or anchor etc.
3. (figurative) Something to which one adheres, or the means that helps one to maintain a stable position and keep one's identity - moral, intellectual, political, etc.
   1890, John George Nicolay and John Hay, Abraham Lincoln: A History The party of pro-slavery reaction was for the moment in the ascendant; and as by an irresistible impulse, the Supreme Court of the United States was swept from its hitherto impartial judicial moorings into the dangerous seas of polities.
   1898, Coates, Florence Earle, song: "Friendship from its Moorings Strays" Friendship from its moorings strays, Love binds fast together; Friendship is for balmy days, Love for stormy weather.