levee

¹

[lev-ee]

noun

1. an embankment designed to prevent the flooding of a river.

2. Geology.,  natural levee.

3. Agriculture.,  one of the small continuous ridges surrounding fields that are to be irrigated.

4. History/Historical.,  a landing place for ships; quay.

verb (used with object)

leveed, leveeing 

1. to furnish with a levee.

   to levee a treacherous stream.

levee

²

[lev-ee, le-vee]

noun

1. (in Great Britain) a public court assembly, held in the early afternoon, at which men only are received.

2. a reception, usually in someone's honor.

   a presidential levee at the White House.

3. History/Historical.,  a reception of visitors held on rising from bed, as formerly by a royal or other personage.

levee

¹

/ ˈlɛvɪ /

noun

1. an embankment alongside a river, produced naturally by sedimentation or constructed by man to prevent flooding

2. an embankment that surrounds a field that is to be irrigated

3. a landing place on a river; quay

levee

²

/ ˈlɛvɪ, ˈlɛveɪ /

noun

1. a formal reception held by a sovereign just after rising from bed

2. (in Britain) a public court reception for men, held in the early afternoon

levee

1. A long ridge of sand, silt, and clay built up by a river along its banks, especially during floods.

2. An artificial embankment along a rivercourse or an arm of the sea, built to protect adjoining land from inundation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of levee¹

An Americanism dating back to 1710–20; from French levée past participle of lever “to raise”; levee ² ( def. ), lever

Origin of levee²

First recorded in 1665–75; from French levé, variant spelling of lever “rising (from bed)” (noun use of infinitive); levee ¹, lever

Word History and Origins

Origin of levee¹

C18: from French, from Medieval Latin levāta, from Latin levāre to raise

Origin of levee²

C17: from French, variant of lever a rising, from Latin levāre to raise

Example Sentences

A levee system constructed to divert storm waters away from New Orleans burst in multiple places, sending floodwaters pouring into residential areas, the cause of most of the lives lost.

From BBC

Homes in large portions of California’s Central Valley have been sinking, as have roads, bridges, canals and levees, as too much water is drawn out of underground aquifers.

From Los Angeles Times

They’ve called for different types of water solutions, including rebuilding aging levees in the Delta to protect freshwater supplies.

From Los Angeles Times

Then the levees, never well designed, were breached in multiple locations and 80% of the city, which sits in a bowl between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, found itself under water.

From Los Angeles Times

Unless you were there, you might think he’s referring to the levee failures that doomed New Orleans.

From Salon

Related Words

• dam