1
a moat around [place]
moat 作名词时是可数名词，指城堡或城镇外围的壕沟；常与 around 连用表示位置。
There is a moat around the castle.
城堡周围有一道护城河。
护城河；壕沟
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
护城河；壕沟
a deep ditch dug around a castle or town and usually filled with water as a defense
There is a moat around the castle.
城堡周围有一道护城河。
A deep, wide defensive ditch, normally filled with water, surrounding a fortified habitation.
作为防御工事挖掘的壕沟,通常注满水
ditch dug as a fortification and usually filled with water
An aspect of a business which makes it more "defensible" from competitors, because of the nature of its products, services or franchise or for some other reason.
A circular lowland between a resurgent dome and the walls of the caldera surrounding it.
The castle's moat was too wide for the soldiers to cross.
城堡的护城河太宽，士兵们无法越过。
The village is surrounded by a moat that once protected it from invaders.
这个村庄被一条护城河环绕，这条河曾经保护它免受入侵者袭击。
They plan to build a small moat around the orchard to keep out wild animals.
他们计划在果园周围挖一条小壕沟，防止野生动物进入。
moat 作名词时是可数名词，指城堡或城镇外围的壕沟；常与 around 连用表示位置。
There is a moat around the castle.
城堡周围有一道护城河。
moat 作动词时是及物动词，意为“用护城河环绕”，常用被动语态 be moated。
The castle was moated in the 14th century.
这座城堡在14世纪时被护城河环绕。
Not this
There is moat around the castle.
Use this
There is a moat around the castle.
moat 是可数名词，单数形式前需要冠词 a；中文没有冠词，所以容易漏掉，加上 a 后句子才完整。
Not this
They visited a moat castle.
Use this
They visited a moated castle.
moat 是名词，修饰“有护城河的城堡”时要用过去分词形容词 moated（表示“有壕沟环绕的”）；直接用名词 moat 作定语不符合英语习惯。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
城堡护城河
The castle moat was full of cold water.
城堡护城河里满是冰冷的水。
挖护城河
The soldiers dug a moat around the camp.
士兵们在营地周围挖了一条壕沟。
越过护城河
The knight had to cross the moat to reach the gate.
骑士必须越过护城河才能到达大门。
填平护城河
They filled in the moat to build a road.
他们填平了护城河来修路。
防御壕沟
A defensive moat protected the fortress on all sides.
一条防御壕沟保护着要塞的四周。
干壕沟
The dry moat was used as a passage for servants.
干壕沟被用作仆人的通道。
经济护城河（企业持久的竞争优势）
The company's brand loyalty gives it a wide economic moat.
这家公司的品牌忠诚度赋予它宽广的经济护城河。
为某事物建立保护（使其免受竞争或威胁）
The startup built a moat around its technology with hundreds of patents.
这家初创公司用数百项专利为其技术建起了护城河。
扩大竞争优势，加强防御
To widen the moat, the retailer invested in same-day delivery.
为了扩大护城河，这家零售商投资了当日达配送服务。
发长 /oʊ/ 音 (如 boat, coat)
Use moat naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
moat 与 boat 同韵：护城河（moat）上漂着一只小船（boat）。
语域：neutral 常见场景：historical castle descriptions、defensive architecture articles、travel writing about old fortifications moat 作名词时通常用于谈论城堡、古代防御工事或历史景点；语气中性偏书面，多出现在历史、建筑或旅游类介绍中。
与 moat 押韵的词包括 boat, coat, goat, note, vote, float，它们都含 /oʊt/ 音。注意 moat 与 moot /muːt/ 拼写相近但发音不同；mote 与 moat 同音但较少见。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.