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Glite Dictionary
earthwork

earthwork

3 6.0
A large bank of earth built by people to defend land or control water
  • noun
  • /ˈɜrθˌwɜrk/
translation icon : terraplén
  • When the exploring colonizers encountered large, sophisticated earthworks such as burial mounds, temple mounds, and enclosures, they had no idea what to make of them.
  • a massive earthwork
  • an old earthwork

And we see the latest incarnation of them in the earthworks that, that have survived to this day.

Examples

  • About an hour after the soldiers passed New Verdiersville, they came to the massive earthworks Lee and Meade had dug by Mine.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • "Everyone knew about the earthworks," he says, "but we didn't know that they were left by another civilization."

    Academic text (2008)

  • It's just in the middle of that elliptical earthwork.

    Operation Crossbow (1965)

  • It's great huge earthwork rampart that goes along southern Denmark, northern Germany.

  • What about these circular earthworks in the woods here?

    Operation Crossbow (1965)

  • When Erickson started working here, he assumed earthworks would be concentrated in open savanna, where crops could receive lots of light.

    Academic text (2008)

  • PHOTOS (COLOR): Avebury, the largest megalithic site in Britain, is surrounded by a deep ditch and massive earthworks.

    Academic text (2003)

  • The ring of scoop-like ditches surrounding this ring of pits also recalled Stonehenge's earthworks.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Over time, the major towns became more architecturally complex, with larger causeways, canals, ramps, and other shell and earthworks being constructed.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The ancient fortress was surrounded by impressive earthworks built for defense.

Synonyms

wall
vsearthwork
∞ 1.0

A vertical structure that divides or surrounds an area, like part of a building

is made from earth to form large banks or mounds for defense or drainage
mound
vsearthwork
40 1.7

A small raised area of earth or stones

is larger and specifically built by people for defense, construction, or drainage
embankment
vsearthwork
22 5.9

A raised bank of earth or stone that keeps water away and supports a road

is larger and used for defense, construction, or drainage rather than only support
fortification
vsearthwork
9 6.6

A wall or earth mound built to protect a place from attack

is used more broadly for construction or drainage as well as defense
retaining wall
vsearthwork
  • Specialized
5 4.4

A wall built to hold back soil or water on one side

is made from earth to form a large bank rather than a built barrier

How Big

rampart
12 8.8
earthwork
3 6.0
embankment
22 5.9
bank
160 3.0
mound
40 1.7

Surface Forms

earthwork singular
earthworks plural

Morphology

earthwork = earth + work (transparent) = earth + work

The meaning is directly built from 'earth' + 'work' (work involving earth or a constructed mass of earth), which is clear to learners who know both components.

Etymology

The word earthwork comes from the two simple words earth ('ground' or 'soil') and work ('something made by people'), so it literally means 'work made of earth'. Think of a big sandcastle or a raised bank of soil — an earthwork is earth shaped into a wall, mound, or bank to defend a place, help construction, or control water.