moat
/mout/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A deep, wide trench, typically filled with water, that surrounds a castle, fort, or town as a defensive barrier.
Usage
The word "moat" is used to describe a physical defensive structure, primarily historical. It functions as a countable noun. * The castle was protected by a wide moat. * They crossed the moat using a drawbridge. * A moat was an effective way to stop attackers from reaching the walls.
Examples
- The ancient fortress was surrounded by a deep moat.
- The water in the moat was home to fish and water lilies.
- One of the most famous moats in the world surrounds the Forbidden City in Beijing.
Advanced Usage
- "Moat" in Business/Finance: In modern metaphorical use, particularly in business, a "moat" refers to a company's sustainable competitive advantages that protect it from rivals, analogous to a castle's defensive moat.
- The company's strong brand loyalty and patent portfolio create a wide economic moat.
Variants and Related Words
- Moatlike (adjective): Resembling or characteristic of a moat.
- A moatlike channel separated the garden from the forest.
Synonyms
- Ditch: A narrow channel dug in the ground. (A "moat" is a specific type of ditch, usually larger and for defense.)
- Trench: A long, narrow ditch.
- Fosse (chiefly historical): A ditch or moat, especially in fortification.
Related Phrases
- To dig a moat: The action of creating this defensive structure.
- The army spent months digging a moat around the settlement.
- To fill a moat: The action of putting water or other obstacles into the trench.
- They planned to fill the moat with water from the river.
- To cross a moat: The action of getting over this barrier.
- Invaders used boats to cross the moat.
Noun
- ditch dug as a fortification and usually filled with water