motte
1
9.9
- noun
- UK
:
mote
- A lone motte provided shelter for birds on the otherwise open plain.
Examples
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Look at that beautiful motte in the field!
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We set up our picnic under the trees of a motte to escape the sun.
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The cattle rested in the shade of a motte in the middle of the field.
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We found a small motte near the river.
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We gathered together beneath a motte of trees to escape the heat of the sun.
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Birds nested high in the branches of the old motte that stood alone in the field.
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The hikers enjoyed a rest in the cool shade provided by a small motte of willows.
Synonyms
104
2.8
A small group of trees that grow close together, often planted for fruit
61
2.2
A thick group of small trees and bushes
48
5.5
A group of trees of the same kind growing close together
22
5.1
A thick area of bushes and small trees that grow close together
3
7.5
A small group of trees growing close together
A small group of trees growing close together
How Big
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word motte also means a small clump of trees or bushes and comes from the same old French motte for a 'mound', because a group of trees can look like a little raised spot in a field. That is why a motte can be a lone patch of trees standing in open land.