embankment

[em-bangk-muhnt]

noun

1. a bank, mound, dike, or the like, raised to hold back water, carry a roadway, etc.

2. the action of embanking.

embankment

/ ɪmˈbæŋkmənt /

noun

1. a man-made ridge of earth or stone that carries a road or railway or confines a waterway See also levee 1

Word History and Origins

Origin of embankment¹

First recorded in 1780–90; embank + -ment

Example Sentences

It appeared that the helicopter augered into the dirt embankment on the side of the highway, tearing up weeds with its tail rotor before skidding across five freeway lanes.

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"Although the energy decreases once it reaches the plains, it still remains powerful and fast - far beyond what a typical river embankment can handle."

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It's a charge that is resonating across the Philippines, where people are asking why the government cannot tame the floods with the billions of pesos it pours into infrastructure like roads, bridges and embankments.

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In the morning rush hour, the traffic along the Dnipro river embankment is heavy and slow-moving as people try to get to work and go about their daily lives.

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Rescue crews hiked down a 70-foot embankment to search the area.

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Related Words

• hill