dyke

A variant of dike, from Northern Middle English dik and dike ( “ ditch ” ) , from Old Norse díki ( “ ditch ” ) . Influenced by Middle Dutch dijc ( “ ditch; dam ” ) and Middle Low German dīk ( “ dam ” ) . [ 1 ] See also ditch.

Pronunciation

Noun

dyke (plural dykes) ( British spelling )

  1. ( historical ) A long, narrowhollowdug from the ground to serve as a boundarymarker.
  2. A long, narrowhollowdug from the ground to conductwater.
  3. ( dialect ) Anynavigablewatercourse.
  4. ( dialect ) Anywatercourse.
  5. ( dialect ) Anysmallbody of water.
  6. ( obsolete ) Anyhollowdug into the ground.
  7. ( now chiefly Australia , slang ) A place to urinate and defecate: an outhouse or lavatory.
1977 , Ian Slack-Smith, “The Passing of the Twin Seater”, in The Cubbaroo Tales :

In Cubbaroo's dim distant past
They built a double dyke.
Back to back in the yard it stood
An architectural dream in wood.

1722 , Alexander Nisbet, A System of Heraldry Speculative and Practical , page 82 :

Inchbrakie gives for Arms, Or, a Dyke (or Wall) Feſsways, broke down in ſome places, and in Baſe a Roſe Gules, on a chief Sable three Eſcalops of the firſt. The Dyke (or Wall) here, is aſſumed not only to difference, but to perpetuate the valiant Action of Graham before mentioned; in throwing down the Wall and Ditch, which the Romans made betwixt Forth and Clyde, to keep out the Scots, [. ]

1894 , Henry Gough, James Parker, A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry , page 608 :

Wall, (sometimes called a dyke, fr. mur) : this is generally found in connection with castles or towns which are walled (muraillé). A wall of which kind should be masoned (fr. maçonné) and embattled (fr. crenellé), even though this be not specified. [. ] Or, a dyke [or wall] fesswise [masoned proper] broken down in some places gules; [. ] —G raham , Inchbrakie, Scotland [similar arms borne by G ræme of Stapleton].

2023 February 21, Nick Aitken, Dry Stone Walling - Materials and Techniques , The Crowood Press, →ISBN:

The Galloway Dyke / In southwest Scotland there is a local style of dry stone dyke that is now recognized as 'the Galloway dyke', although when this pattern of was first developed, it was simply described as 'the sheep dyke'.

2023 February 21, Nick Aitken, Dry Stone Walling - Materials and Techniques , The Crowood Press, →ISBN:

The Galloway Dyke / In southwest Scotland there is a local style of dry stone dyke that is now recognized as 'the Galloway dyke', although when this pattern of was first developed, it was simply described as 'the sheep dyke'.

1891 , Susan Hale, The Story of Nations: Mexico , page 100 :

The king of Texcuco advised the building of a great dike, so thick and strong as to keep out the water.

1968 , Transactions of the Geological Society of South Africa , page 148 :

Their exact relationship to the host-rock is obscure but from their texture and observed metamorphic relationship they are thought to be intrusive dykes rather than intercalations of more basic lava.

Synonyms