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

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.

From BBC

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

From Los Angeles Times

The body of a missing Southern California woman was found this weekend at the bottom of an embankment in the Angeles National Forest, according to authorities.

From Los Angeles Times

A man has died after his car left the road and crashed down a railway embankment onto tracks in Harrogate, police said.

From BBC

The case has remained open and officers are now searching a grass embankment in Oban in the hope of finding a weapon.

From BBC

Related Words

• hill