fosse
noun
a moat or defensive ditch in a fortification, usually filled with water.
fosse
1 American
[fos, faws]
/ fɒs, fɔs /
Or
foss
noun
-
a moat or defensive ditch in a fortification, usually filled with water.
-
any ditch, trench, or canal.
Fosse
2
American
[fos-ee]
/ ˈfɒs i /
noun
fosse
British
/ fɒs /
noun
Etymology
Origin of fosse
1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French < Latin fossa fossa 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Beyond it was a deep fosse lost in soft shadow, but the grass upon its brink was green, as if it glowed still in memory of the sun that had gone.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
There was a road paved with white stone running on the outer brink of the fosse.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
When they were all three in the fosse, the moon was obscured and a little rain fell.
From Memoirs of Leonora Christina Daughter of Christian IV. of Denmark; Written During Her Imprisonment in the Blue Tower at Copenhagen 1663-1685 by Leonora Christina Ulfeldt
Swift in expedient, the stewards supplied the difficulty with quicklime, which was scattered with a lavish hand in the fosse, and shone like snow through the barrier of furze bushes on the take-off side.
From Further Experiences of an Irish R.M. by Martin Ross
The keep stands upon an artificial mound, the height of which, from the fosse, is one hundred and ten feet on one side, and eighty on the other.
From Curiosities of Great Britain: England and Wales Delineated Vol.1-11 Historical, Entertaining & Commercial; Alphabetically Arranged. 11 Volume set. by Thomas Cantrell Dugdale
Those two pillars — the Fosse and Harpman — allowed the Levys to open their office in Oakland in 2024.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
They now have a small staff, an office in Oakland and count a Nobel Prizewinner, Jon Fosse, among their authors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Lucy Kemp, a strategic brand and communications leader at the IT company La Fosse and an employee experience specialist, agrees.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Left to talk, Jacobs whirls through stories of past, present and future: anecdotes about his grandmother planning her lunch spot around which department store she’d spend the day at, and memories of Bob Fosse films.
From Salon ● Mar. 27, 2026
As directed by Bob Fosse on Broadway, the dancing was raucous, and the themes—Pippin’s relationships with multiple women, his struggles with authority and the church—were overtly presented.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
