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View synonyms for

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

/ ˈɛɪ /

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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

levee

2

/ ˈɛɪ; 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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.
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Word History and Origins

Origin of levee1

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

Origin of levee2

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

Origin of levee1

C18: from French, from Medieval Latin ٲ, from Latin to raise

Origin of levee2

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

Examples have not been reviewed.

They’ve said the state should instead bolster water supplies by upgrading aging levees in the Delta and investing more in recycling wastewater, capturing stormwater locally and making other improvements to use water more efficiently.

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Some areas, such as around Huntington Beach and Bolsa Chica, saw their tsunami hazard areas shrink after new analysis indicated levees and ponds would help better protect the public than originally thought.

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In the wild, their burrowing behavior can breach levees and weaken structural foundations, per the state fish and wildlife department.

From

In Obion County, Tennessee, heavy rains there caused a levee to break, "resulting in rapid onset flooding", a local NWS account said on X.

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Traditionally, governments have turned to hard infrastructure like seawalls and levees to guard against floods.

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Le Vaulevel