moat

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• COUNT in NET: 1 in 1 verses (in OT : 1 in 1 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

moat, n. [OF. mote hill, dike, bank, F. motte clod, turf: cf. Sp. & Pg. mota bank or mound of earth, It. motta clod, LL. mota, motta, a hill on which a fort is built, an eminence, a dike, Prov. G. mott bog earth heaped up; or perh. F. motte, and OF. mote, are from a LL. p. p. of L. movere to move (see Move). The name of moat, properly meaning, bank or mound, was transferred to the ditch adjoining: cf. F. dike and ditch.].

 A deep trench around the rampart of a castle or other fortified place, sometimes filled with water; a ditch.  [1913 Webster]

moat, v. t. 

 To surround with a moat.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

moat, n. & v.
--n. a deep defensive ditch round a castle, town, etc., usu. filled with water.
--v.tr. surround with or as with a moat.

Etymology

ME mot(e) f. OF mote, motte mound

THESAURUS

moat

abri, abysm, abyss, approach trench, aqueduct, arch dam, arroyo, backstop, bamboo curtain, bank, bar, barrage, barrier, bear-trap dam, beaver dam, boom, box canyon, breach, break, breakwater, breastwork, brick wall, buffer, bulkhead, bulwark, bunker, canal, canalization, canyon, cavity, channel, chap, chasm, check, chimney, chink, cleft, cleuch, clough, cofferdam, col, communication trench, coulee, couloir, countermine, coupure, crack, cranny, crevasse, crevice, crimp, cut, cwm, dam, defense, defile, dell, dike, ditch, donga, double sap, draw, dugout, earthwork, embankment, entrenchment, excavation, fault, fence, fire trench, fissure, flaw, flume, flying sap, fortified tunnel, fosse, foxhole, fracture, furrow, gallery, gap, gape, gash, gate, goffer, gorge, gravity dam, groin, groove, gulch, gulf, gully, gutter, ha-ha, hole, hydraulic-fill dam, incision, iron curtain, jam, jetty, joint, kennel, kloof, leak, leaping weir, levee, logjam, milldam, mine, mole, mound, notch, nullah, opening, parallel, parapet, pass, passage, pleat, portcullis, rampart, ravine, rent, rift, rime, roadblock, rock-fill dam, rupture, sap, scissure, seam, seawall, shutter dam, slit, slit trench, slot, split, stone wall, sunk fence, trench, trough, tunnel, valley, void, wadi, wall, weir, wicket dam, work

ROGET THESAURUS

moat

Defense

N defense, protection, guard, ward, shielding, propugnation, preservation, guardianship, area defense, site defense, self-defense, self-preservation, resistance, safeguard, balistraria, bunker, screen, camouflage, fortification, munition, muniment, trench, foxhole, bulwark, fosse, moat, ditch, entrenchment, intrenchment, kila, dike, dyke, parapet, sunk fence, embankment, mound, mole, bank, sandbag, revetment, earth work, field- work, fence, wall dead wall, contravallation, paling, palisade, haha, stockade, stoccado, laager, sangar, barrier, barricade, boom, portcullis, chevaux de frise, abatis, abattis, abbatis, vallum, circumvallation, battlement, rampart, scarp, escarp, counter-scarp, glacis, casemate, vallation, vanfos, buttress, abutment, shore, breastwork, banquette, curtain, mantlet, bastion, redan, ravelin, vauntmure, advance work, horn work, outwork, barbacan, barbican, redoubt, fort-elage, fort-alice, lines, loophole, machicolation, sally port, hold, stronghold, fastness, asylum, keep, donjon, dungeon, fortress, citadel, capitol, castle, tower of strength, tower of strength, fort, barracoon, pah, sconce, martello tower, peelhouse, blockhouse, rath, wooden walls, bulletproof vest, armored vest, buffer, corner stone, fender, apron, mask, gauntlet, thimble, carapace, armor, shield, buckler, aegis, breastplate, backplate, cowcatcher, face guard, scutum, cuirass, habergeon, mail, coat of mail, brigandine, hauberk, lorication, helmet, helm, bassinet, salade, heaume, morion, murrion, armet, cabaset, vizor, casquetel, siege cap, headpiece, casque, pickelhaube, vambrace, shako, bearskin, panoply, truncheon, garrison, picket, piquet, defender, protector, guardian, bodyguard, champion, knight-errant, Paladin, propugner, bulletproof window, hardened site, defending, defensive, mural, armed, armed at all points, armed cap-a-pie, armed to the teeth, panoplied, iron-plated, ironclad, loopholed, castellated, machicolated, casemated, defended, proof against, armored, ballproof, bulletproof, hardened, defensively, on the defense, on the defensive, in defense, at bay, pro aris et focis, Int, no surrender!, defense not defiance, Dieu defend le droit, fidei defensor, defender of the faith.

Inclosure

N inclosure, envelope, case, wrapper, girdle, pen, fold, pen fold, in fold, sheep fold, paddock, pound, corral, yard, net, seine net, wall, hedge, hedge row, espalier, fence, pale, paling, balustrade, rail, railing, quickset hedge, park paling, circumvallation, enceinte, ring fence, barrier, barricade, gate, gateway, bent, dingle, door, hatch, cordon, prison, dike, dyke, ditch, fosse, moat.

Furrow

N furrow, groove, rut, sulcus, scratch, streak, striae, crack, score, incision, slit, chamfer, fluting, corduroy road, cradle hole, channel, gutter, trench, ditch, dike, dyke, moat, fosse, trough, kennel, ravine, tajo, thank-ye-ma'am, furrowed, ribbed, striated, sulcated, fluted, canaliculated, bisulcous, bisulcate, bisulcated, canaliferous, trisulcate, corduroy, unisulcate, costate, rimiform.

Conduit

N conduit, channel, duct, watercourse, race, head race, tail race, abito, aboideau, aboiteau, bito, acequia, acequiador, acequiamadre, arroyo, adit, aqueduct, canal, trough, gutter, pantile, flume, ingate, runner, lock-weir, tedge, vena, dike, main, gully, moat, ditch, drain, sewer, culvert, cloaca, sough, kennel, siphon, piscina, pipe, funnel, tunnel, water pipe, waste pipe, emunctory, gully hole, artery, aorta, pore, spout, scupper, adjutage, ajutage, hose, gargoyle, gurgoyle, penstock, weir, flood gate, water gate, sluice, lock, valve, rose, waterworks, pipeline, vascular.