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| dike [ dīk ] or dyke [ dīk ] |
noun (plural dikes) (plural dykes) |
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| Definition: |
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1. embankment to prevent floods: an embankment built along the shore of a sea or lake or beside a river to hold back the water and prevent flooding
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2. barrier: a barrier or obstacle meant to keep something out
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3. causeway: a raised roadway across a swamp or body of water
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4. ditch: a drainage ditch or other artificial watercourse
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5. geology long mass of igneous rock: a vertical or near-vertical mass of igneous rock that has forced its way upward through overlying strata
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transitive verb (past and past participle diked, present participle dik·ing, 3rd person present singular dikes) (past and past participle dyked, present participle dyk·ing, 3rd person present singular dykes) |
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| Definition: |
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1. protect land with dykes: to enclose or protect an area of land with a dike or series of dikes
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2. drain land with ditches: to drain an area of land using ditches
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| [13th century. Probably < Old Norse dík< Germanic, "hole and mound resulting from digging"] |
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  dik·er noun |
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