moat

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈməʊt/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/moʊt/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(mōt)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
moat /moʊt/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. a deep, wide trench, usually filled with water, esp. one surrounding a fortified place.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
moat  (mōt),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. a deep, wide trench, usually filled with water, surrounding the rampart of a fortified place, as a town or a castle.
  2. any similar trench, as one used for confining animals in a zoo.
  • Old French: clod, mound, of obscure origin, originally
  • Middle English mote 1325–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
moat / məʊt/
  1. a wide water-filled ditch surrounding a fortified place, such as a castle
  1. (transitive) to surround with or as if with a moat
Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French motte mound
'moat' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
berm - encompass - fosse - long - motte

Forum discussions with the word(s) "moat" in the title:


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