earthwork

[ urth-wurk ]
/ ˈɜrθˌwɜrk /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR earthwork ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

excavation and piling of earth in connection with an engineering operation.
Military. a construction formed chiefly of earth for protection against enemy fire, used in both offensive and defensive operations.
an artistic work that consists of a large-scale alteration or modification of an area of land in a configuration designed by an artist or of an artist's sculptural installation, as in a museum or gallery, of soil, rock, or similar elemental materials.

QUIZZES

DON’T VACILLATE! VANQUISH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “vacillate” mean?
to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute.
to cause to be empty or unoccupied.
to assent tacitly; agree; consent.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of earthwork

First recorded in 1625–35; earth + work

Words nearby earthwork

earthward, earthwards, earth wave, earth wax, earthwoman, earthwork, earthworm, earthy, ear to the ground, have one's, ear trumpet, ear tuft
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to earthwork

dam, barricade, gully, dike, trough, gorge, moat, pit, foxhole, waterway, reinforcement, fortress, citadel, breakwater, mound, bank, bastion, ridge, fence, barrier

Example sentences from the Web for earthwork

British Dictionary definitions for earthwork

earthwork
/ (ˈɜːθˌwɜːk) /

noun

excavation of earth, as in engineering construction
a fortification made of earth
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012