motte

Etymology 1

From French motte, from Anglo-Norman/Old French motte (“mound, hillock”). Doublet of moat.

noun

1. A raised earth mound, often topped with a wooden or stone structure and surrounded with a ditch.
2. An argument which is uncontroversial and easy to defend (in the context of a motte and bailey fallacy).
   Coordinate term: bailey
   "Birds are dinosaurs" is the bailey; "birds are more similar to dinosaurs than anything else" is the motte. Answers in Genesis is an organization which advocates in favour of Young Earth creationism. 10 February 2023, “Why Birds Are Not Dinosaurs (And Why It Matters)”, in Answers in Genesis, archived from the original on 2023-03-15

Etymology 2

Alternative forms.

noun

1. Alternative form of mott