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levee¹ Definition

☆ levee (lev′ē)

noun

  1. an embankment built alongside a river to prevent high water from flooding bordering land
  2. a landing place, as a pier, on the bank of a river
  3. a low ridge of earth around a field to be irrigated

Etymology: Fr levée, fem. pp. of OFr lever, to raise: see lever

transitive verb lev′eed, lev′ee·ing

to build a levee along

levee² Definition

levee (lev′ē; lə vē′, -vā′)

noun

  1. Historical a morning reception held by a sovereign or person of high rank upon arising
  2. any formal or stylish reception
  3. Brit. a reception held in the afternoon by the king or his representative, attended only by men

Etymology: Fr levé, for OFr lever, substantival use of inf., to raise, se lever, to rise: see levee

levee Synonyms

levee

n.

embankment, dike, ridge, obstruction, block; see also dam 1.

levee Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

natural: The river meanders for 45km through the lowlands forming ox-bow lakes, backwater swamps and natural levees which are used for small agricultural plots.

Converse of object

  • build: Thus, when the Americans built the levees, they exchanged a large risk of small floods for a small risk of large floods.
  • break: With its main levee broken, the evacuated city of New Orleans has become part of the Gulf of Mexico.
  • raise: Whenever a river floods, it has a tendency to raise a levee beside its banks.
  • hold: A few days later he held a levee when every officer in the force was presented to him.
  • breach: Damage from Hurricane Katrina is complicated by widespread flooding from breached levees.

Converse of subject

surround: It is surrounded by levees and protected by powerful pumps.

Modifies a noun

  • system: The levee system that protects the city crumbled, flooding the city with millions of tons of water.
  • breach: We now know Bush lied about his knowledge of the New Orleans levee breach.
  • construction: Ongoing work aims to understand the precise stratigraphic link between phases of channel erosion and sediment bypass and levee construction.

Noun used with modifier

  • riverside: A riverside levee daughter mingled with on the fourth.
  • river: He recently took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us.