Definitions
A raised earth mound, often topped with a wooden or stone structure and surrounded with a ditch.
Word origin
From French motte, from Anglo-Norman/Old French motte (“mound, hillock”). Doublet of moat.
Used in a sentence
“The motte was a mound made of earth and surrounded by a ditch.”
“Coordinate term: bailey”
“"Birds are dinosaurs" is the bailey; "birds are more similar to dinosaurs than anything else" is the motte.”
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
Used as a crossword answer2 curated clues
01“Defensive earthwork”5 letters
02“Castle mound”5 letters
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