earth berm


berm

1. A continuous bank of earth alongside a road; a shoulder. 2. A continuous bank of earth piled against a masonry wall. 3. A strip of ground, formed into a ledge to support beams or pipes. 4. The horizontal surface between a moat and the exterior slope of a fortified rampart. 5. In earth excavation work, that portion of the excavation, usually sloped, left at the perimeter and removed as the sheeting and bracing are installed. 6. A narrow terrace or shelf built into an embankment, or the like, which breaks the continuity of an otherwise long slope.