"fosse" meaning in English

See fosse in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /fɒs/ [Received-Pronunciation], /fɔs/ (note: US, lot–cloth split, General Australian), /fɑs/ [US, cot-caught-merger, dialectal] (note: of Canada), /fɒs/ [Canada, dialectal] (note: of the US), /fɒs/ [New-Zealand], [fɔ̟s] [New-Zealand] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-fosse.wav Forms: fosses [plural], foss [alternative]
Rhymes: -ɒs, -ɔːs Etymology: From Middle English fosse, from Old French fosse, from Latin fossa (“ditch, trench”). Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|fosse}} Middle English fosse, {{der|en|fro|fosse}} Old French fosse, {{der|en|la|fossa|t=ditch, trench}} Latin fossa (“ditch, trench”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} fosse (plural fosses)
  1. A ditch or moat. Translations (a ditch or moat): خَنْدَق (ḵandaq) [masculine] (Arabic), окоп (okop) [masculine] (Bulgarian), ров (rov) [masculine] (Bulgarian), voldgrav [common-gender] (Danish), awamate (Maori), co [masculine] (Northern Kurdish), خندق (hendek) (Ottoman Turkish), خندق (xandaq) (Persian)
    Sense id: en-fosse-en-noun-fWoLFDcg Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Terms with Danish translations, Terms with Maori translations, Terms with Northern Kurdish translations, Terms with Persian translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 45 55 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 54 46 Disambiguation of Terms with Danish translations: 48 52 Disambiguation of Terms with Maori translations: 47 53 Disambiguation of Terms with Northern Kurdish translations: 48 52 Disambiguation of Terms with Persian translations: 46 54 Disambiguation of 'a ditch or moat': 98 2
  2. (anatomy) Alternative form of fossa. Tags: alt-of, alternative Alternative form of: fossa
    Sense id: en-fosse-en-noun-5uglH-D8 Categories (other): Anatomy, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Terms with Arabic translations, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Danish translations, Terms with Maori translations, Terms with Northern Kurdish translations, Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations, Terms with Persian translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 45 55 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 54 46 Disambiguation of Terms with Arabic translations: 42 58 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 44 56 Disambiguation of Terms with Danish translations: 48 52 Disambiguation of Terms with Maori translations: 47 53 Disambiguation of Terms with Northern Kurdish translations: 48 52 Disambiguation of Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations: 38 62 Disambiguation of Terms with Persian translations: 46 54 Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: fossed, Fosse Road, fosseway, Fosse Way

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "fossed"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "Fosse Road"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "fosseway"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "Fosse Way"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "fosse"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English fosse",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "fosse"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French fosse",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "fossa",
        "t": "ditch, trench"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin fossa (“ditch, trench”)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English fosse, from Old French fosse, from Latin fossa (“ditch, trench”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "fosses",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "foss",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "fosse (plural fosses)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "45 55",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "54 46",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "48 52",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "47 53",
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          "name": "Terms with Maori translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "48 52",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Northern Kurdish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "46 54",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Persian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              166,
              171
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1791, Charlotte Smith, Celestina, Broadview, published 2004, page 486:",
          "text": "[T]he ground was […] scattered with the masses of ruined buildings, that had formerly been part of the outward fortifications, but of which some were fallen into the fosse, and others overgrown with alder, ash, and arbeal.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A ditch or moat."
      ],
      "id": "en-fosse-en-noun-fWoLFDcg",
      "links": [
        [
          "ditch",
          "ditch"
        ],
        [
          "moat",
          "moat"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "lang_code": "ar",
          "roman": "ḵandaq",
          "sense": "a ditch or moat",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "خَنْدَق"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "lang_code": "bg",
          "roman": "okop",
          "sense": "a ditch or moat",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "окоп"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "lang_code": "bg",
          "roman": "rov",
          "sense": "a ditch or moat",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ров"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "lang_code": "da",
          "sense": "a ditch or moat",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "voldgrav"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "kmr",
          "lang": "Northern Kurdish",
          "lang_code": "kmr",
          "sense": "a ditch or moat",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "co"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "lang_code": "mi",
          "sense": "a ditch or moat",
          "word": "awamate"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ota",
          "lang": "Ottoman Turkish",
          "lang_code": "ota",
          "roman": "hendek",
          "sense": "a ditch or moat",
          "word": "خندق"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "fa",
          "lang": "Persian",
          "lang_code": "fa",
          "roman": "xandaq",
          "sense": "a ditch or moat",
          "word": "خندق"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "fossa"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Anatomy",
          "orig": "en:Anatomy",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 55",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "54 46",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "42 58",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Arabic translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "44 56",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "48 52",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Danish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "47 53",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Maori translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "48 52",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Northern Kurdish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "38 62",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "46 54",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Persian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of fossa."
      ],
      "id": "en-fosse-en-noun-5uglH-D8",
      "links": [
        [
          "anatomy",
          "anatomy"
        ],
        [
          "fossa",
          "fossa#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(anatomy) Alternative form of fossa."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "anatomy",
        "medicine",
        "sciences"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/fɒs/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-fosse.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/9e/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-fosse.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-fosse.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/9e/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-fosse.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-fosse.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/fɔs/",
      "note": "US, lot–cloth split, General Australian"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/fɑs/",
      "note": "of Canada",
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "cot-caught-merger",
        "dialectal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/fɒs/",
      "note": "of the US",
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "dialectal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/fɒs/",
      "tags": [
        "New-Zealand"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[fɔ̟s]",
      "tags": [
        "New-Zealand"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɒs"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɔːs"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fosse"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old French",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 11 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɒs",
    "Rhymes:English/ɔːs",
    "Rhymes:English/ɔːs/1 syllable",
    "Terms with Arabic translations",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Danish translations",
    "Terms with Maori translations",
    "Terms with Northern Kurdish translations",
    "Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations",
    "Terms with Persian translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "fossed"
    },
    {
      "word": "Fosse Road"
    },
    {
      "word": "fosseway"
    },
    {
      "word": "Fosse Way"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "fosse"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English fosse",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "fosse"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French fosse",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "fossa",
        "t": "ditch, trench"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin fossa (“ditch, trench”)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English fosse, from Old French fosse, from Latin fossa (“ditch, trench”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "fosses",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "foss",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "fosse (plural fosses)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              166,
              171
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1791, Charlotte Smith, Celestina, Broadview, published 2004, page 486:",
          "text": "[T]he ground was […] scattered with the masses of ruined buildings, that had formerly been part of the outward fortifications, but of which some were fallen into the fosse, and others overgrown with alder, ash, and arbeal.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A ditch or moat."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ditch",
          "ditch"
        ],
        [
          "moat",
          "moat"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "fossa"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "en:Anatomy"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of fossa."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "anatomy",
          "anatomy"
        ],
        [
          "fossa",
          "fossa#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(anatomy) Alternative form of fossa."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "anatomy",
        "medicine",
        "sciences"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/fɒs/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-fosse.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/9e/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-fosse.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-fosse.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/9e/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-fosse.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-fosse.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/fɔs/",
      "note": "US, lot–cloth split, General Australian"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/fɑs/",
      "note": "of Canada",
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "cot-caught-merger",
        "dialectal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/fɒs/",
      "note": "of the US",
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "dialectal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/fɒs/",
      "tags": [
        "New-Zealand"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[fɔ̟s]",
      "tags": [
        "New-Zealand"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɒs"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɔːs"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "lang_code": "ar",
      "roman": "ḵandaq",
      "sense": "a ditch or moat",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "خَنْدَق"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "lang_code": "bg",
      "roman": "okop",
      "sense": "a ditch or moat",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "окоп"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "lang_code": "bg",
      "roman": "rov",
      "sense": "a ditch or moat",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ров"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "lang_code": "da",
      "sense": "a ditch or moat",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "voldgrav"
    },
    {
      "code": "kmr",
      "lang": "Northern Kurdish",
      "lang_code": "kmr",
      "sense": "a ditch or moat",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "co"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "lang_code": "mi",
      "sense": "a ditch or moat",
      "word": "awamate"
    },
    {
      "code": "ota",
      "lang": "Ottoman Turkish",
      "lang_code": "ota",
      "roman": "hendek",
      "sense": "a ditch or moat",
      "word": "خندق"
    },
    {
      "code": "fa",
      "lang": "Persian",
      "lang_code": "fa",
      "roman": "xandaq",
      "sense": "a ditch or moat",
      "word": "خندق"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fosse"
}

Download raw JSONL data for fosse meaning in English (4.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-02-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (f492ef9 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.