moat

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a deep, wide defensive ditch, often filled with water, around a castle or fortified place

   A stone bridge crossed the moat at the castle gate.

2. 2
   noun

   a durable advantage that protects a business from competitors

   The company's patent portfolio gave it a strong competitive moat.

From Middle English mote and Old French mote, originally "mound" or "embankment," related to motte. The name shifted from the raised fortification to the ditch surrounding it. The business sense is a modern metaphor: a protective advantage keeps competitors outside as a castle moat keeps attackers away.

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