levee

See also: levée and lévée

English

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈlɛvi/, /ˈlɛv.eɪ/
    • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛvi, -ɛveɪ
  • Homophone: levy (some pronunciations only)
  • (US) enPR: lev'i, IPA(key): /ˈlɛvi/, /ləˈvi/, /ləˈveɪ/
  • Rhymes: -ɛvi
  • Homophones: levy, Levy

Etymology 1

From French levée, from lever (to raise, rise).

levee

Noun

levee (plural levees)

  1. An elevated geographical feature.
  2. An embankment to prevent inundation; as, the levees along the Mississippi.
  3. (US) The steep bank of a river.
  4. (US) The border of an irrigated field.
  5. (US) A pier or other landing place on a river.
Synonyms
Translations

Verb

levee (third-person singular simple present levees, present participle leveeing, simple past and past participle leveed)

  1. (US, transitive) To keep within a channel by means of levees.
    to levee a river
Translations

Etymology 2

From French levé variant of the noun lever (the act of getting up in the morning).

Noun

levee (plural levees)

  1. (obsolete) The act of rising; getting up, especially in the morning after rest.
    • 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
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society, published 1973, page 414:
      The sturdy hind now attends the levee of his fellow-labourer the ox []
  2. A reception of visitors held after getting up.
  3. A formal reception, especially one given by royalty or other leaders.
    • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XV, in Francesca Carrara. [], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, [], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 179:
      I must take my leave, for the Cardinal holds a levee to-day, and let those fail in attendance who want nothing.
    • 1992, Hilary Mantel, A Place of Greater Safety, published 1993, →ISBN, page 195:
      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.’

Verb

levee (third-person singular simple present levees, present participle leveeing, simple past and past participle leveed)

  1. (transitive) To attend the levee or levees of.
    • 1725–1728, [Edward Young], “(please specify the page)”, in Love of Fame, the Universal Passion. In Seven Characteristical Satires, 4th edition, London: [] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson [], published 1741, →OCLC:
      He levees all the great.

Anagrams

Old French

Verb

levee

  1. feminine singular of the past participle of lever
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