Moat
/moʊt/noun
A deep, wide ditch, often filled with water, built around a castle or other fortification.
Did you know?The word comes from a medieval term for a defensive ditch, and in older English it could mean the ditch itself rather than the water in it.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*mōtō
“a ditch or moat-like trench”
Old French
OF
mote
“a mound, especially one associated with a fortified place”
Middle English
ME
mote
“a ditch or embankment around a castle”
16th Century
English
moat
“a defensive ditch surrounding a fortification”
Modern English
English
moat
“a deep defensive ditch, usually filled with water”