An embankment is a long mound or wall of earth, stone, or similar material built up to hold something back or support something above ground level.

Think of the raised slopes you see along highways or railroad tracks. These aren't natural hills: they're embankments, carefully constructed to keep the road or tracks level and stable. When engineers build a railroad through hilly terrain, they create embankments to lift the tracks over low areas, allowing trains to travel smoothly without constant steep climbs and descents.

Embankments also hold back water. Rivers often have embankments (sometimes called levees or dikes) built along their edges to prevent flooding. When heavy rains make a river rise, these walls of packed earth keep the water from spilling into nearby towns and farms.

You might see embankments at dams, where they form the massive walls that hold back enormous reservoirs. Construction workers also build embankments to support the edges of roads or to create level ground for buildings on sloped land.

The key idea is that an embankment is built up rather than dug down. It's material piled and packed to create a barrier or support structure with a specific purpose.