Main Entry:

¹dike

Pronunciation:

\ˈdīk\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, probably from Old Norse dīk ditch and Middle Low German dīk dam; akin to Old English dīc ditch — more at ditch

Date:

13th century

1: an artificial watercourse : ditch2 a: a bank usually of earth constructed to control or confine water : levee b: a barrier preventing passage especially of something undesirable3 a: a raised causeway b: a tabular body of igneous rock that has been injected while molten into a fissure