Now Hist. The ditch or moat surrounding a walled town.
1423. Coventry Leet Bk., 48. Poody-Crofte, þe wich lieth from Crow-lane vnto a diche, þat is callyd the town diche in breid.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 1349. Ridley and Latimer … were sone condempned, and after burned in the towne Diche at Oxforde.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 466. At the verie instant there was espied an hare, running crosse over the towne ditch.
1680. C. Nesse, Church-Hist., 213. Oh that our reformers had cast all Romish reliques into the town-ditch!
