motte
9.9
A raised mound of earth built to hold a castle or fort
- noun
- /mɑt/
:
mote
- A reliable starter castle is the motte and Bailey, popular with the Normans who built hundreds across England and Wales during the Norman Conquest.
Examples
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During the medieval period, many lords constructed their homes atop a motte for defense against invaders.
-
The castle in the first drawing was a simple structure, more fort than fortress, consisting of a squat central bailey enclosed within a dry stone motte.
Fiction book (1991) -
The ancient castle was built on a large motte, providing a strategic view of the surrounding land.
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The archaeologists discovered remnants of a motte that once served as the base for a protective fortress.
Synonyms
mound
vsmotte
40
1.7
A small raised area of earth or stones
is a raised earth site mainly used for a castle or fortification
How High
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word motte comes from old French motte, meaning 'clod' or 'mound'. People built small castles on a motte because a high 'mound' gives a better view and is easier to defend, which is why motte now means the raised earth under a fort.