embankment

embankment

a man-made ridge of earth or stone that carries a road or railway or confines a waterway

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

Embankment

A sloped area of earth abutting a structure.

Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture Copyright © 2012, 2002, 1998 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

embankment

[em′baŋk·mənt]

(civil engineering)

A ridge constructed of earth, stone, or other material to carry a roadway or railroad at a level above that of the surrounding terrain.

A ridge of earth or stone to prevent water from passing beyond desirable limits. Also known as bank.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

embankment

A bank of earth, gravel, or other material constructed above the natural ground surface; often used to carry a road, or as a dam to hold back water.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.