Levee

The levee kept the floodwater back.

There's danger that the levee will break. We have to evacuate immediately.

I live near the levee.

Engineers in New Orleans said they expected heavy rains to cause some flooding, but the storm had not breached levee walls built to hold back Lake Pontchartrain.

The purchaser of a riparious estate under the words "front to the levee," does not acquire the alluvion or batture, when there is land susceptible of separate ownership beyond the levee.

to levee a river

c. 1763, Thomas Gray, letter to Mr. Nichols And look before you were up in the morning, though you were a punctual courtier at the sun's levee

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

I must take my leave, for the Cardinal holds a levee to-day, and let those fail in attendance who want nothing.

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.’