Embank vs Levee - What's the difference?

As verbs the difference between embank and levee

is that embank is to throw up a bank so as to confine or to defend; to protect by a bank of earth or stone while levee is to keep within a channel by means of levees.

As a noun levee is

an embankment to prevent inundation; as, the levees along the Mississippi.

embank

English

Alternative forms

Verb

(en verb)

to throw up a bank so as to confine or to defend; to protect by a bank of earth or stone

Derived terms

* embankment

levee

English

(wikipedia levee)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)

An embankment to prevent inundation; as, the levees along the Mississippi.

(US) The steep bank of a river, or border of an irrigated field.

(US) A pier or other landing place on a river.

Synonyms

* (embankment) dike, floodwall

Verb

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

to levee a river

Etymology 2

From (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)

(obsolete) The act of rising; getting up, especially in the morning after rest.

* Gray

the sun's levee

* 1749 , Henry Fielding, Tom Jones , Folio Society 1973, p. 414:

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

A reception of visitors held after getting up.

A formal reception, especially one given by royalty or other leaders.

* {{quote-book

, year=1992 , year_published=1993 , author= Hilary Mantel , title=A Place of Greater Safety citation , isbn=9780689121685 , page=195 , passage=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

To attend the levee or levees of.

* Young

He levees all the great.

----