motte
or mott
[ mot ]
/ mɒt /
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noun Chiefly Southwestern U.S.
a grove or clump of trees in prairie land or open country.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!
Set some time apart to test your bracket symbol knowledge, and see if you can keep your parentheses, squares, curlies, and angles all straight!
Question 1 of 7
Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT Origin of motte
An Americanism first recorded in 1830–40; from Mexican Spanish mata; Spanish: “grove, plantation,” perhaps from Late Latin matta mat1
Words nearby motte
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for motte
British Dictionary definitions for motte
motte
/ (mɒt) /
noun
history a natural or man-made mound on which a castle was erected
Word Origin for motte
C14: see moat
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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