moat

noun

ˈmōt 

1

: a deep and wide trench around the rampart of a fortified place (such as a castle) that is usually filled with water

The moat can be crossed by a drawbridge.

2

: a channel resembling a moat (as about a seamount or for confinement of animals in a zoo)

A Bengal tiger stared at me from across the moat.

moated

ˈmō-təd 

adjective

moatlike

ˈmōt-ˌlīk 

adjective

Illustration of moat

• moat 1

Examples of moat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Other teams use mechanisms such as waterless moats or other openings in between the fans and the outfield to discourage fans from making their way to the field. —Dhani Joseph, New York Times, 22 July 2025

But integration also creates a moat for incumbents and multi-product suites like Rippling (which raised $2B+) that combine payroll, benefits, devices, and HR into one stack. —Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025

PayPal's strong brand, high merchant acceptance (76% among top North American and European retailers) and focus on personalization further solidify its competitive moat. —Michael Khouw, CNBC, 21 July 2025

To discourage ants from returning, inspect new plants, use a sticky barrier, or create a moat. —Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mote, from Anglo-French mote, motte mound, moat

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for moat

• bloat
• boat
• choate
• coat
• cote
• dote
• float
• gloat
• goat
• groat
• haute
• mote

Kids Definition

moat

noun

ˈmōt 

: a deep wide trench around the walls of a castle or fortress that is usually filled with water