Definition of "levee" []

• An embankment raised to prevent a river from overflowing. (noun)
• A small ridge or raised area bordering an irrigated field. (noun)
• A landing place on a river; a pier. (noun)
• To provide with a levee. (verb-transitive)
• A reception held, as by royalty, upon arising from bed. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The world -- the word levee comes from the French word "to raise.""
• "Building higher becomes exponentially expensive because every foot added to a levee is a foot added to the bottom, which gets wider and more expensive with each foot of height."
• "As an added bonus, they got a federal grant for $43 million in levee improvements."