moat

American  

[moht] / moʊt /

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.

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moat British  

/ məʊt /

noun

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

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verb

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

   a moated grange

Etymology

Origin of moat

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

Example Sentences

“Not that many companies out there that have this kind of moat, which is a global wallet that everyone recognizes.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

"It's got no moat but it has got a little railway I can drive around," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

Nvidia’s hardware still leads the industry, but the deepest part of the company’s moat is all the software it’s created to run on its hardware.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

“The faster a company can lean into a consumption value model, the more defensible the moat and predictability of future growth.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

The man on the other side of the moat was Unde Dap.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Related Words

• gully
• trench