1 C1 neutral
To protect or reclaim land from flooding by building dykes or drainage channels.
"The farmers dyked out the marshland so they could use it for growing crops."
separable
dyke out
C1 neutral separable transitive
To drain or protect an area of land using dykes or embankments.
In plain English
To build walls or ditches to keep water away from land.
What does "dyke out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 neutral
To remove water from an area by constructing or using dykes and drainage systems.
"Engineers spent three years dyking out the low-lying coastal region before construction could begin."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To take water out of an area using a dyke (an embankment or wall built to hold back water).
Actually means
To build walls or ditches to keep water away from land.
Usage tip
Primarily used in civil engineering, agriculture, and land-management contexts. More common in British English and Dutch-influenced varieties. Rarely used in everyday speech.
Words that pair with "dyke out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
land field marsh wetland area estuary
How to conjugate "dyke out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dyke out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dykes out
he/she/it
Past simple
dyked out
yesterday
Past participle
dyked out
have + pp
-ing form
dyking out
continuous
Hear "dyke out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "dyke out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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