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moat

[ moht ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a deep, wide trench, usually filled with water, surrounding the rampart of a fortified place, such as a town or a castle.
any trench, such as one used for confining animals in a zoo.
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

/ ��əʊ�� /

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Origin of moat¹

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

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Origin of moat¹

C14: from Old French motte mound

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Examples have not been reviewed.

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

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

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Parks and open spaces in Mandalay have turned into makeshift camps, as have the banks of the moat that runs around the palace.

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In the centre of the town stand the handsome ruins of Rothesay Castle, surrounded by a moat.

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Currently there is a large open space here, with an empty moat that is not original but was created in the 1960s.

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