Illustration of moat
- moat 1
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.
Examples of moat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The economy is in deep decline, the cost of living has spiraled, and public services are collapsing—water deregulation has left Britain swimming in a moat of its own excrement.
—
Peter Guest, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Vigilance — regularly cleaning the moat and changing the water — may help.
—Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024
The remodel took place between 1712 and 1722 and included filling in a moat, extending the parklands, the demolition of the former manor house, and the construction of the existing residence.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024
Malls had been transformed by the shutdown into darkened temples surrounded by moats of barren parking lots.
—Greg Petro, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
There is no attached ant moat, which can be inconvenient for keeping pesky crawling insects at bay.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2024
The moat was likely used through the Hellenistic period, when it was ultimately filled in.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Jan. 2024
The moats are metaphorical, the drawbridge always down.
—Christian Wiman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
An ancient retaining wall of a medieval moat and the moat bed were also found, officials said in Dec. 15 and Jan. 7 Facebook posts.
—Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024
Peter Guest, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Vigilance — regularly cleaning the moat and changing the water — may help.
—Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024
The remodel took place between 1712 and 1722 and included filling in a moat, extending the parklands, the demolition of the former manor house, and the construction of the existing residence.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024
Malls had been transformed by the shutdown into darkened temples surrounded by moats of barren parking lots.
—Greg Petro, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
There is no attached ant moat, which can be inconvenient for keeping pesky crawling insects at bay.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2024
The moat was likely used through the Hellenistic period, when it was ultimately filled in.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Jan. 2024
The moats are metaphorical, the drawbridge always down.
—Christian Wiman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
An ancient retaining wall of a medieval moat and the moat bed were also found, officials said in Dec. 15 and Jan. 7 Facebook posts.
—Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'moat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Time Traveler
The first known use of moat was
in the 15th century
Articles Related to moat
Dictionary Entries Near moat
Cite this Entry
“Moat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moat. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
moat
noun
: a deep wide trench around the walls of a castle or fortress that is usually filled with water
More from Merriam-Webster on moat
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for moat
Nglish: Translation of moat for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about moat
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share