embank

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to confine, support, or protect land or water by constructing a raised bank of earth or stone

   Engineers embanked the river to protect the low fields from seasonal flooding.

2. 2
   verb

   to form material into a bank or embankment

   The machine excavated the loose soil and embanked it along the edge of the pit.

Formed in English from en- or em-, 'put into or upon,' + bank. The verb originally described enclosing or defending a place with a bank and later broadened to building any supporting or containing embankment.

Topics