earthwork

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noun earth·work \ ˈərth-ˌwərk \

Definition of earthwork

1 :an embankment or other construction made of earth; especially :one used as a field fortification

2 :the operations connected with excavations and embankments of earth

3 :a work of art consisting of a portion of land modified by an artist

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Recent Examples of earthwork from the Web

Port spokesman Perry Cooper said this amount included higher costs for electrical and communications systems and for concrete and earthworks.

— dominic gates, The Seattle Times, "Cost of Sea-Tac’s two big expansion projects rises 17 percent," 14 Aug. 2017
While his grandfather was plowing one day, his horse fell through the ground and into an ancient earthwork.

— david hammond, chicagotribune.com, "Lost cities of the Midwest: A trek back to pre-Columbian times," 21 July 2017
At this point, about 60 acres have been cleared and major earthwork has already been completed.

— paul brinkmann, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Lawsuit: New industrial park damages Wekiva River headwaters," 20 July 2017
The permits also cover earthwork on vacant land next door owned by RD Management.

— frederick melo, Twin Cities, "MN United soccer stadium construction company receives site prep permit," 14 June 2017
Civil War-era rifle bullets—out of the crumbling remains of Confederate earthworks.

— garrett epps, The Atlantic, "The True History of the South Is Not Being Erased," 11 June 2017
Those earthworks remain, mostly under federal management now—scars in the earth left by a cataclysmic struggle within the American family a century and a half ago.

— garrett epps, The Atlantic, "The True History of the South Is Not Being Erased," 11 June 2017
The biggest work in the Hirshhorn show, the 1968 Westwall (Siegfried Line), takes on the supposedly impenetrable series of bunkers along Germany’s western border, and considers it more like an earthwork than a wartime embankment.

— roger catlin, Smithsonian, "It Takes Two Museums to Cover the Work of this Prolific German Neo-Expressionist," 6 June 2017
However, an equally impressive earthwork sits 116 miles to the northwest and is known as the Paracas Candelabra.

— jennifer nalewicki, Smithsonian, "Where to See Five of the Planet’s Most Mysterious Geoglyphs," 20 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'earthwork.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of earthwork

1633

EARTHWORK Defined for English Language Learners

earthwork

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noun

Definition of earthwork for English Language Learners

: a raised bank or wall made of soil

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earthwork

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