Dike - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT dike /daɪk/ /daɪk/ IPA guide

Other forms: dikes; diked; diking

A dike is a structure made of earth or stone that's used to hold back water. If you visit the Netherlands, you can see their elaborate system of dikes, without which much of the country would be underwater.

The verb dike means to enclose with a structure, like a wall or embankment, intended to hold back water. The Netherlands diked an inland sea, used pumping and other water control measures, and was able to reclaim flooded areas. The Dutch have used dikes to prevent flooding since the 12th century, and the word itself has the same roots as the Dutch word dijk.

Definitions of dike

noun a barrier constructed to contain the flow of water or to keep out the sea synonyms: dam, dyke see moresee less examples: Aswan High Dam one of the world's largest dams on the Nile River in southern Egypt Glen Canyon Dam a large dam built in 1964 on the Colorado River in Arizona Hoover Dam a large dam built in 1933 on the Colorado River in Nevada types: milldam dam to make a millpond to provide power for a water mill weir a low dam built across a stream to raise its level or divert its flow type of: barrier a structure or object that impedes free movement
verb enclose with a dike “dike the land to protect it from water” synonyms: dyke see moresee less type of: close in, enclose, inclose, shut in surround completely
noun (slang) offensive term for a lesbian who is noticeably masculine

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Travel from the heaths of England to the fjords of Norway with this list of vocabulary related to Western Europe. Explore colonialism and empire, natural resources, and social and political structures such as feudalism, monarchy, and democracy.

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