Phrase guide

retaining wall

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of several structures used to restrain a vertical-faced mass of earth.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: civil-engineering, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a wall that is built to resist lateral pressure (especially a wall built to prevent the advance of a mass of earth)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wall

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Basque: euste-horma — structure
  • Catalan: mur de contenció — structure
  • Chinese Mandarin: 護土牆 /护土墙 (hùtǔqiáng) — structure
  • Dutch: keermuur — structure
  • Dutch: keerwand — structure
  • Finnish: tukimuuri — structure
  • French: mur de soutènement — structure
  • Galician: socalco — structure
  • Galician: bancal — structure
  • German: Stützmauer — structure
  • German: Stützwand — structure
  • German: Brüstung — structure
  • German: Schwergewichtsmauer — structure
  • Hindi: धारक भित्ति (dhārak bhitti) — structure
  • Italian: muro di sostegno — structure
  • Japanese: 擁壁 (yōheki) — structure
  • Korean: 옹벽 (ongbyeok) — structure
  • Latin: abamūrus — structure
  • Māori: takitaki-ā-manu — structure
  • Russian: подпо́рная сте́нка (podpórnaja sténka) — structure
  • Spanish: muro de contención — structure
  • Swedish: stödmur — structure
  • Ukrainian: підпорна стіна (pidporna stina) — structure
  • Vietnamese: tường chắn đất — structure