moats

Wet fortress rings

Moats are deep, wide ditches surrounding a castle or fortified place, typically filled with water as a defensive barrier.

The word almost always appears in historical or fantasy contexts: The castle's moat made direct assault nearly impossible.

Figuratively, a moat is any protective barrier that keeps threats at bay—in business, a competitive moat protects market position from rivals.

fortification

castle

Fortified medieval residence

keep · portcullis · battlement · turret · stronghold · citadel · fortress · siege · medieval · defensive

water

ditch

Shallow excavated channel

stagnant · filled · drained · algae · waterfowl · carp · crocodile · alligator · reeds · lily

business

competitive advantage

Factor enabling market outperformance

Warren Buffett · sustainable · economic · brand · network effect · scale · pricing power · intangible · durable · market share

metaphorical

barrier

Obstruction preventing passage

boundary · divide · obstacle · buffer · insulation · distance · detachment · exclusion · seclusion · shield

Categories
Opposites
defensive barrier type

moatswalls

Vertical enclosing structures

ramparts · battlements · palisades · parapets · fortifications

topographical feature

moatsbanks

Financial institutions or riversides

levees · berms · embankments · mounds · dikes

access function

moatsbridges

Structures spanning obstacles

drawbridges · causeways · gateways · passages · ramps

Phrases
Family

moat, moated

Familiarity
Top 100,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G