levee

See also levée

English

Wikipedia

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈlɛvi/, /ˈlɛv.eɪ/, X-SAMPA: /"levi/, /"lev.eI/

  Rhymes: -ɛvi, -ɛveɪ

  Homophone: levy (some pronunciations only)

• (US) enPR: lev'i, IPA: /ˈlɛvi/, X-SAMPA: /"levi/

  Rhymes: -ɛvi

  Homophone: levy

Etymology 1

From French levée, from lever (“to raise, rise”).

levee

Noun

levee (plural levees)

1. An embankment to prevent inundation; as, the levees along the Mississippi.
2. (US) The steep bank of a river, or border of an irrigated field.
3. (US) A pier or other landing place on a river.

Synonyms

• (embankment): dike, floodwall

Translations

embankment to prevent inundation

• Finnish: tulvapato (fi)

• French: digue (fr) f
• Portuguese: encosta (pt)

Verb

levee (third-person singular simple present levees, present participle leveeing, simple past and past participle leveed)

1. (US, transitive) To keep within a channel by means of levees.

   to levee a river

Etymology 2

From French levé (“risen”).

Noun

levee (plural levees)

1. (obsolete) The act of rising; getting up, especially in the morning after rest.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society 1973, p. 414:

     The sturdy hind now attends the levee of his fellow-labourer the ox [...]

2. A reception of visitors held after getting up.
3. A formal reception, especially one given by royalty or other leaders.
   • 1992, Hilary Mantel, A Place of Greater Safety^[1], ISBN 9780689121685, published 1993, page 195:

     At the King's levee on the morning of the 13th, Philippe was first ignored; then asked by His Majesty (rudely) what he wanted; then told, ‘Get back where you came from.’

Verb

levee (third-person singular simple present levees, present participle leveeing, simple past and past participle leveed)

1. (transitive) To attend the levee or levees of.
   • Young

     He levees all the great.

---

Old French

Verb

levee

1. feminine singular past participle of lever