retaining wall

noun

1. a wall for holding in place a mass of earth or the like, as at the edge of a terrace or excavation.

retaining wall

noun

1. a wall constructed to hold back earth, loose rock, etc Also calledrevetment

Word History and Origins

Origin of retaining wall¹

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

SAR allows researchers to inspect and characterize pavements, retaining walls, and embankments from space and can help determine if there are flaws that should be further inspected for repair, saving valuable time.

From Science Daily

A 4-foot tall retaining wall was built along the south side to achieve this goal.

From Seattle Times

Along a new retaining wall, purple long beans can be found.

From Seattle Times

Roughly six feet of the pavement and a portion of a masonry retaining wall that supported the highway fell into the ocean about 170 below the road, according to his office.

From Seattle Times

“I mean, it’s landlocked. Everyone built around it and on the South Hill, there are trees and retaining walls and all sorts of hindrances — there’s just no way,” he said.

From Seattle Times