Skip to main content
to embank

to embank

1 8.0
To build a raised bank of earth or stone along a river to stop flooding
  • verb
  • /ɪmˈbæŋk/
translation icon : embancar
  • They will embank the river soon.

Examples

  • Over the centuries, people have embanked many streams to reclaim land for farming.

  • To prevent flooding, the city decided to embank the river with reinforced concrete walls.

  • Engineers will embank the new railway line to protect it from seasonal floods.

  • The workers embanked the area around the road.

  • The workers embanked the river to prevent flooding during the heavy rains.

  • To protect the road from erosion, they embanked the sides with large stones.

  • After the storm, the town decided to embank the nearby river for safety.

Synonyms

to bank
vsto embank
5 6.1

To cover or surround something with earth to protect it

is used to raise edges near rivers or roads to prevent flooding

Antonyms

64 4.2

Take something apart into separate pieces

How High

to embank
1 8.0
raise
4 2.9

Surface Forms

embank infinitive
embanked past
embanked past participle
embanking present participle
embanks third person singular

Morphology

embank = bank (transparent) = em + bank

The prefix 'em-' is used to form verbs meaning 'to put into or onto' the noun base, making the meaning clear as 'to put a bank on'.

Etymology

Embank comes from the parts em- ('in') and bank ('the side of a river' or 'raised edge'). So to embank is to build up a bank along a river or road to hold water back and stop flooding.