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

The most defensible companies are building new moats around enterprise knowledge, trust, and observability. —Rocio Wu, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025

Section 230 dug a legal moat around Big Tech from behind which the industry waged war on America's children. —Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025

The structure features two mighty walls separated by a moat on a steep hillside between Homs and the Mediterranean Sea. —Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 10 June 2025

Create an Ant Moat If your feeder isn't designed with a water-fillable moat that ants aren't eager to cross, add your own. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 May 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