Dikes
/daɪks/noun
Plural of dike, meaning embankments, walls, or excavated channels built to control water or mark boundaries.
Did you know?The word dike is historically connected with ditch, reflecting how one earthwork could function as either a raised barrier or an excavated trench.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dheigʷh-
“To stick, fix, or form by pressing and shaping”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*dīką
“An embankment or excavated trench”
Old English
Old English
dīc
“A ditch, dyke, or earthwork used as a boundary or defense”
Middle English
Middle English
dyke / dike
“A ditch, bank, or artificial water barrier”
Modern English
English
dike
“An embankment or channel constructed to control water or mark land”
Modern English
English
dikes
“Plural form referring to multiple dikes”