MOAT - Definition & Meaning for Kids
Meaning 1
Part of speech: Noun
ditch dug as a fortification and usually filled with water
Categories: Trench
Synonyms
🌱 Word Origin (Etymology)
The word "moat" comes from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mut-. It started in Proto-Germanic *mutô. Then it appeared in Frankish *mot. Later, people used it in Medieval Latin mota. After that, it was Old French mote. Over time, it became Middle English mote. Many other languages have similar words:.
- Old French: motte
- Alemannic German: Mott
- Bavarian: Mott
- Dutch: mot
- Saterland Frisian: mut
- Swedish: muta
- Old English: mot
🔗 Related Words
mote – A related word in the same word family.
mud – A related word in the same word family.
smut – A related word in the same word family.
🧩 Fun Fact
This word's path shows how empires, trade, and scholarship spread vocabulary across continents.