motte and bailey

English - English

Definition of motte and bailey in English English dictionary

the predecessor of the castle, having a raised earth mound (the motte) topped with a tower (or donjon), and a wooden ring fortification surrounding a courtyard (the bailey)

{i} Norman castle of the Middle Ages comprising of two connecting ditched stockaded mounds with a wooden donjon rising above and placed in the outer courtyard of the castle

Hyphenation

motte and Bai·ley

Turkish pronunciation

mät ınd beyli

Pronunciation

/ˈmät ənd ˈbālē/ /ˈmɑːt ənd ˈbeɪliː/