How Do You Spell DIKE?

Pronunciation: [dˈa͡ɪk] (IPA)

The spelling of the word "dike" can be confusing, as it can have two different pronunciations and therefore two different spellings. When referring to an embankment for holding back water, it is pronounced /daɪk/ and spelled "dike" in American English, while in British English it is pronounced /dʌɪk/ and spelled "dyke." However, when referring to a narrow channel of water, it is pronounced and spelled the same in both American and British English – /daɪk/.

Meaning and Definition
Common Misspellings
Etymology
Idioms
Similar spelling words
Plural
Conjugate verb
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DIKE Meaning and Definition

  1. A dike, also known as a dyke, is a noun that refers to a long, narrow embankment built to control or confine water, typically found alongside rivers, lakes, or the sea. Designed for flood protection or to prevent the spread of water, dikes serve as barriers that prevent flooding of adjacent lands. Typically made with compacted soil, clay, rocks, or concrete, dikes are engineered to sustain water pressure and resist erosion, providing stability and security to the surrounding environment.

    Dikes have been utilized by civilizations for centuries, beginning with the ancient Egyptians who built earthen embankments called "levees" to protect their agricultural fields from the annual flooding of the Nile River. Over time, dike construction techniques evolved, and various methods and materials have been employed to strengthen their effectiveness.

    Apart from flood protection, dikes also play a crucial role in land reclamation, creating polders by enclosing an area of water and enabling it to be drained and converted into arable land. Additionally, dikes may function as part of a transportation system, such as roads or railways, providing connectivity between areas separated by water bodies.

    In a figurative sense, the term "dike" can also be used to describe any obstacle or barrier that prevents the flow or spread of something, whether it be physical, metaphorical, or abstract in nature.

  2. • A mound of earth or stones to prevent low lands from being inundated by the sea or a river; a ditch; rock or stony matter running into a seam of coal, or breaking the course of a lode or vein of metal, so as to interrupt its further working in that direction; igneous rock found penetrating stratified rocks; a wall.
    • To surround with a barrier.

    Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Common Misspellings for DIKE

Etymology of DIKE

The word "dike" has its origins in the Old English word "dic", which referred to a trench or ditch created for drainage purposes. The term can be traced back further to the Proto-Germanic root "dik", meaning "trench or ditch". This Proto-Germanic word likely has its roots in the PIE (Proto-Indo-European) root "teig", which means "to knead or shape". In Old English, the word "dic" gradually evolved to "dike" and retained its meaning as a ditch or embankment. Over time, its usage expanded to include the sense of a structure built to control or constrain water, resulting in the modern meaning of "dike" as a barrier or protective embankment.

Idioms with the word DIKE

  • dike A dike is a barrier built to prevent flooding, a trench or ridge to prevent the spread of an enemy, or a long wall or embankment built to prevent flooding from the sea.

Similar spelling words for DIKE

Plural form of DIKE is DIKES

Conjugate verb Dike

CONDITIONAL PERFECT

I would have diked
you would have diked
he/she/it would have diked
we would have diked
they would have diked
I would have dike
you would have dike
he/she/it would have dike
we would have dike
they would have dike

CONDITIONAL PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

I would have been diking
you would have been diking
he/she/it would have been diking
we would have been diking
they would have been diking

CONDITIONAL PRESENT

I would dike
you would dike
he/she/it would dike
we would dike
they would dike

CONDITIONAL PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

I would be diking
you would be diking
he/she/it would be diking
we would be diking
they would be diking

FUTURE

I will dike
you will dike
he/she/it will dike
we will dike
they will dike

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

I will be diking
you will be diking
he/she/it will be diking
we will be diking
they will be diking

FUTURE PERFECT

I will have diked
you will have diked
he/she/it will have diked
we will have diked
they will have diked

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I will have been diking
you will have been diking
he/she/it will have been diking
we will have been diking
they will have been diking

IMPERATIVE

you dike
we let´s dike

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

to dike

PAST CONTINUOUS

I was diking
you were diking
he/she/it was diking
we were diking
they were diking

PAST PARTICIPLE

diked

PAST PERFECT

I had diked
you had diked
he/she/it had diked
we had diked
they had diked

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I had been diking
you had been diking
he/she/it had been diking
we had been diking
they had been diking

PRESENT

I dike
you dike
he/she/it dikes
we dike
they dike

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

I am diking
you are diking
he/she/it is diking
we are diking
they are diking

PRESENT PARTICIPLE

diking

PRESENT PERFECT

I have diked
you have diked
he/she/it has diked
we have diked
they have diked

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I have been diking
you have been diking
he/she/it has been diking
we have been diking
they have been diking

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

he/she/it dike

SIMPLE PAST

I diked
you diked
he/she/it diked
we diked
they diked

Infographic

Correct spelling for dike
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