flood wall

American  

noun

1. Civil Engineering. a wall built along a shore or bank to prevent floods by giving a raised, uniform freeboard and by allowing unimpeded flow to water in a channel.

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Etymology

Origin of flood wall

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

The force said agencies had "assessed the damage caused by the explosion with a number of car windows broken, the top of the scaffolding on the bridge affected and some damage to the flood wall".

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2023

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, when winds pushed high tides, Norfolk closed the gate on its downtown flood wall, but intersections blocks away still flooded.

From Washington Post • Oct. 5, 2022

Najima has been living here for two weeks and says that in that time, no aid has reached her section of the flood wall.

From BBC • Sep. 2, 2022

The new raised park, braced by a 1.2-mile flood wall and millions of tons of layered earth barged in by water, would act as a levee to hold back the surging sea.

From New York Times • Dec. 2, 2021

In 2016, the city of Mount Vernon completed construction of a flood wall aimed at protecting homes and businesses from the capricious waters of the Skagit River, which bisects its quaint downtown.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 15, 2021