earthwork
UK /ˈɜːθwɜːk/ · US /ˈɝθwɝk/ noun
Forms earthworks
- noun Any structure made from earth, especially an embankment used for fortification or flood control.
Synonyms
Etymology
From earth + work. First attested in the 1630s.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Any construction, whether a temporary breastwork or permanent fortification, for attack or defense, the material of which is chiefly earth.
- noun (a) The operation connected with excavations and embankments of earth in preparing foundations of buildings, in constructing canals, railroads, etc. (b) An embankment or construction made of earth.
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “earthwork”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details