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.
Fortified medieval residence
- drawbridgeHinged castle entrance span
- rampartFortified defensive wall
- baileyCastle's enclosed courtyard
- keepRetain or fortified tower
portcullis · battlement · turret · stronghold · citadel · fortress · siege · medieval
Shallow excavated channel
- trenchLong narrow excavation
- channelPassage for transmission
- pondSmall still body
- stagnantWithout movement or progress
filled · drained · algae · waterfowl · carp · crocodile · alligator · reeds
Factor enabling market outperformance
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
- defensibilityCapacity to withstand attack
- investmentDeploying capital for returns
- sustainableAble to endure long-term
Warren Buffett · economic · brand · network effect · scale · pricing power · intangible · durable
Obstruction preventing passage
- isolationComplete separation from others
- separationState of being apart
- protectionGuarding against harm
- boundaryLine marking a limit
divide · obstacle · buffer · insulation · distance · detachment · exclusion · seclusion
castle
Fortified medieval residence
- drawbridgeHinged castle entrance span
- rampartFortified defensive wall
- baileyCastle's enclosed courtyard
keep · portcullis · battlement · turret · stronghold · citadel · fortress · siege · medieval · defensive
ditch
Shallow excavated channel
stagnant · filled · drained · algae · waterfowl · carp · crocodile · alligator · reeds · lily
competitive advantage
Factor enabling market outperformance
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
- defensibilityCapacity to withstand attack
- investmentDeploying capital for returns
Warren Buffett · sustainable · economic · brand · network effect · scale · pricing power · intangible · durable · market share
barrier
Obstruction preventing passage
- isolationComplete separation from others
- separationState of being apart
- protectionGuarding against harm
boundary · divide · obstacle · buffer · insulation · distance · detachment · exclusion · seclusion · shield
- medievalknights, castles, cathedral, kings, queens
- Medieval Eraknights, Middle Ages, castles, feudal lords, medieval period
- medieval lifechivalry, royal courts, jousting, knighthood, falconry
- ancient constructionpyramids, arches, aqueducts, masonry, stonework
- Norman EraNormans, William the Conqueror, Norman conquest, Domesday Book, Battle of Hastings
- Kofun periodburial mounds, tumuli, tumulus, royal tombs, sarcophagi
moatswalls
Vertical enclosing structures
ramparts · battlements · palisades · parapets · fortifications
- castle moatWater trench around fortification
- moated castlesStrongholds with water barriers