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moat

 - 2 dictionary results

moat

  [moht]
Use moat in a Sentence
–noun
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.
Origin:
1325–75; ME mote < OF: clod, mound, of obscure orig.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To moat
moat   (mōt)   
n.  

  1. A deep wide ditch, usually filled with water, typically surrounding a fortified medieval town, fortress, or castle as a protection against assault.

  2. A ditch similar to one surrounding a fortification: A moat separates the animals in the zoo from the spectators.

tr.v.   moat·ed, moat·ing, moats
To surround with or as if with a moat.

[Middle English mote, mound, moat, from Old French, mound, or Medieval Latin mota.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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