壕・濠|ごうgou[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. nounmoat; fosse; trench; ditch濠 is usu. filled with water, 壕 is usu. dry
2. noununderground air-raid shelter; dugout

• Synonym堀ほりNeutralThe usual word for a castle moat, as in 「お堀」; much the same meaning as 「壕」 but more common in everyday use.
• Related溝みぞNeutralA ditch, gutter or groove, and by extension a rift between people, as in 「二人の間に溝ができる」; broader in range than 「壕」.
• Related堀割ほりわりNeutralA waterway or canal made by digging the ground to let water flow; centered on carrying water, while 「壕」 covers defensive trenches and air-raid shelters.
• Related堀切りほりきりWrittenA written/formal word for a trench dug artificially, chiefly for castle defense.

Use 「壕」 for moats around castles, trenches, or air-raid shelters, as in 「防空壕」「塹壕」. In everyday speech a castle moat is 「堀」, a gutter or ditch is 「溝」, and a canal is 「堀割」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 城しろや陣地じんちの周まわりに掘ほった、深ふかい溝みぞ。
2. 戦争せんそう中ちゅう、爆弾ばくだんから身みを守まもるために地下ちかに掘ほった部屋へや。