dyke

n. a long wall or bank of earth built to prevent a river or the sea from flooding an area of low land.

n. an embankment or barrier constructed to prevent the inundation of low-lying land by water.

“The farmers built a high dyke to protect their fields from the rising river.”

“The coastal authorities reinforced the ancient dykes to withstand the projected increase in storm surges over the coming decade.”

British English

n. a long, thin layer of rock that cuts across other layers of rock.

n. an intrusive body of igneous rock that cuts across the bedding or structural planes of the host rock.

“The hikers could see a dark dyke of volcanic rock cutting through the cliff.”

“Geologists identified a vertical basaltic dyke that had intruded into the sedimentary layers during the late Cretaceous period.”

Technical

n. a slang word for a lesbian, especially one who acts or looks masculine.

n. a slang term for a lesbian, particularly one exhibiting masculine traits; historically derogatory but frequently reclaimed within the LGBTQ+ community.

“She proudly identified as a dyke and wore her hair very short.”

“The activist discussed the history of the word dyke and how it was reclaimed by the community in the late twentieth century.”

Slang · Vulgar

n. a narrow hole or channel dug into the ground to carry water away.

n. a ditch or watercourse, particularly one used for drainage or as a boundary marker.

“Water filled the dyke at the edge of the field after the heavy rain.”

“The historical map shows a series of dykes used to drain the marshland for agricultural use.”

British English · Dialect

v. to build a wall or bank to protect land from water.

v. to protect or surround a piece of land with an embankment or ditch.

“The engineers plan to dyke the entire marsh to create new farmland.”

“The lowlands were extensively dyked during the seventeenth century to facilitate permanent settlement.”

Formal