noun
levee
LEH-vee
noun
1
An embankment built along a river to prevent flooding.
"The levee failed during the storm, flooding several neighborhoods."
"Workers reinforced the levee with sandbags ahead of the flood."
How to Use Levee
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA raised wall of earth built along a riverbank to stop flooding.
UK vs US
Especially associated with American English, particularly in the context of the Mississippi River.
Common pairings
the levee broke
build a levee
levee failure
Word Forms
leveed past tense, leveed past tense, levees plural, levees plural, levees singular, levees singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “levee”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ failed during the storm, flooding several neighborhoods.
Etymology
From French levee, "raised (thing)," from lever, "to raise."