dike

¹ American  

[dahyk] / daɪk /

Or dyke

noun

1. an embankment for controlling or holding back the waters of the sea or a river.

   They built a temporary dike of sandbags to keep the river from flooding the town.

2. a ditch.

3. a bank of earth formed of material being excavated.

4. a causeway.

5. British Dialect. a low wall or fence, especially of earth or stone, for dividing or enclosing land.

6. an obstacle; barrier.

7. Geology.

   1. a long, narrow, cross-cutting mass of igneous rock intruded into a fissure in older rock.

   2. a similar mass of rock composed of other kinds of material, as sandstone.

8. Australian Slang. a urinal.

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verb (used with object)

diked, diking

1. to furnish or drain with a dike.

2. to enclose, restrain, or protect by a dike.

   to dike a tract of land.

dike ² American  

[dahyk] / daɪk /

noun

Slang: Disparaging and Offensive.

1. dyke.

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dike British  

/ daɪk /

noun

1. a variant spelling of dyke 1

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dike Scientific  

/ dīk /

1. A body of igneous rock that cuts across the structure of adjoining rock, usually as a result of the intrusion of magma. Dikes are often of a different composition from the rock they cut across. They are usually on the order of centimeters to meters across and up to tens of kilometers long.

2. See illustration at batholith

3. An embankment of earth and rock built to prevent floods or to hold irrigation water in for agricultural purposes.

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Usage

What else does dike mean? Dike is an extremely offensive slur for a lesbian. It has been reappropriated by some in the LGBTQ community as a label of pride and solidarity. What are some other forms of dike?dyke

Other Word Forms

• diker
  noun
• dikey
  adjective
• undiked
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of dike

before 900; Middle English dik ( e ), Old English dīc < Old Norse dīki; akin to ditch

Explanation

A dike is a structure made of earth or stone that's used to hold back water. If you visit the Netherlands, you can see their elaborate system of dikes, without which much of the country would be underwater. The verb dike means to enclose with a structure, like a wall or embankment, intended to hold back water. The Netherlands diked an inland sea, used pumping and other water control measures, and was able to reclaim flooded areas. The Dutch have used dikes to prevent flooding since the 12th century, and the word itself has the same roots as the Dutch word dijk.

Example Sentences

Nigerians experience power outages so frequently they have become an accepted part of daily life - a metaphor Dike uses to question the nation's broader failures in governance and infrastructure.

From BBC • Nov. 12, 2025

Limit the damage returner Chimere Dike does, as he’s capable of breaking a big one.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2025

Engineers realized a few decades ago that Hoover Dike, notoriously leaky, was in danger of collapsing once again if water levels climbed too high.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 10, 2023

In February, Hudson traveled to England to watch Dike in a match against Birmingham City, and later assistant BJ Callaghan paid a visit.

From Washington Post • Mar. 26, 2023

“You kind of look like Goku with your Afro,” Dike said, laughing.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• barrier
• ditch
• levee