Definition of "polder" [pol•der]

• An area of low-lying land, especially in the Netherlands, that has been reclaimed from a body of water and is protected by dikes. (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.

• "Dutchman's mouth water -- a "polder" of surpassing excellence, but it is viewed in a different light by enthusiastic wild duck shooters, who, like the owner of a grouse moor, look upon drainage and reclamation as the visible work of the devil."
• "On the opposite side of the road stretches a long, flat meadow, or "polder," up to the little village which nestles so snugly around its tall church tower; the latter fulfilling also the purpose of a beacon, lit by night, to guide the wayfarer on sea and land; scene of tireless industry, comfortable prosperity, and smiling peace. ..."
• "You can keep following the Vecht to where it breaks into open polder land, viewing, while you're at it, the system of fortifications that used flooding as a military defense system for the country."