retaining wall

See synonyms for retaining wall on Thesaurus.com

noun

a wall for holding in place a mass of earth or the like, as at the edge of a terrace or excavation.

Origin of retaining wall

First recorded in 1830–40

Also called breast wall.

Words Nearby retaining wall

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use retaining wall in a sentence

I was on a night run once in the neighborhood where I grew up, and showed off for some porch-sitters by leaping onto and off of a retaining wall, tramping through what I thought were rhododendrons before going back to the pavement.
My 10 Best Post-Adventure Showers | aheard | July 26, 2021 | Outside Online
Marvin hops over the edge of his retaining wall, which he built.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile | Robert Ward | January 3, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
Excavations have shown that Eridu was protected by a retaining wall of sandstone, of which material many of its houses were made.
Myths of Babylonia and Assyria | Donald A. Mackenzie
As the last good-night was spoken Helen sought mechanically the low retaining wall against which she had so often rested.
The Spell | William Dana Orcutt
He stumbled rather than walked to the retaining wall, and rested against it for support.
The Spell | William Dana Orcutt

A couch had been placed near the retaining wall, so that he could rest upon it whenever he felt fatigued.
The Spell | William Dana Orcutt
The altar of Zeus consists of a great mound of ashes with a retaining wall.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 2 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for retaining wall

retaining wall

noun

a wall constructed to hold back earth, loose rock, etc: Also called: revetment

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

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