moat

[moht]

noun

1. a deep, wide trench, usually filled with water, surrounding the rampart of a fortified place, such as a town or a castle.

2. any trench, such as one used for confining animals in a zoo.

3. a competitive advantage a business has in its field.

   The company's moat was reduced when the patent on the devices they sold expired.

moat

/ məʊt /

noun

1. a wide water-filled ditch surrounding a fortified place, such as a castle

verb

1. (tr) to surround with or as if with a moat

   a moated grange

Word History and Origins

Origin of moat¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English mote, from Old French: “clod, mound,” of obscure origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of moat¹

C14: from Old French motte mound

Example Sentences

So the construction of a detention center with a “moat” of forbidding wildlife is just performative cruelty.

From Los Angeles Times

We’re in a moment right now where we seem to have a leader or a government that’s terrified of the outside world and wants to say, “OK, let’s build a moat and America first.”

From Los Angeles Times

Zoom in, and one will see there’s a large “emporium” to greet guests — and shoppers — on Main Street, U.S.A., as well as a castle-like moat to mark the entrance to Fantasyland.

From Los Angeles Times

Inversely, if you’ve got money to spend and find secret fireplaces a little too tacky, good news: How does a fire moat sound?

From Salon

Kicking through a moat with a brass band on an in-the-round riser that vaulted him over the main stage field.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• gully 
• trench