dyke up
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To build a dyke along (a body of water or a piece of land).
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
Plumstead Marshes and Barking Level made one morass, four miles wide at least, or nearer five, drowned twice a day into a great level sheet of water, until some civilisation came to dyke up the tidal stream and confine it to the central bed, which it had scoured in its windings through such a desola
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “dyke up” mean?
To build a dyke along (a body of water or a piece of land).
Is “dyke up” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.