berm

IPA/bɜːm/
KK[bˈɚm]IPA/bɜːrm/

berm — noun

  • bermsingular
  • bermsplural

1. a long, low mound of earth that people build to create a boundary or to keep wat

1.名詞B2
釋義

a long, low mound of earth that people build to create a boundary or to keep water, noise, or other unwanted things away from an area.

例句

Matthew and his father built a low earth berm to keep floodwater from their garden.

earth + berm + purpose (keep…out)

A grassy berm separates the picnic tables from the parking lot at the public park.

berm separates [area A] from [area B]

同義詞
  • embankment

    larger, steeper, and usually built for roads or railways rather than landscaping.

  • mound

    more rounded on top and less flat; a mound does not have the same barrier function.

  • ridge

    longer and narrower, usually natural rather than man-made.

文法句型

berm + of + material

berm + separates/protects + area

用法筆記

Often describes a deliberately built or shaped landform for landscaping, flood defence, or noise reduction.

常見錯誤

❌The children played on the grassy berm of the river.
✅The children played on the grassy bank of the river.
💡A bank is the natural side of a river; a berm is a man-made raised strip, not a natural riverbank.

2. the narrow, usually unpaved strip of ground at the edge of a road, between the p

2.名詞B2
釋義

the narrow, usually unpaved strip of ground at the edge of a road, between the paved surface and the ditch or fence.

例句

Omar pulled his car onto the dirt berm when the engine made a strange noise.

pull onto the berm (emergency stopping)

The narrow gravel berm beside the country road was covered with yellow wildflowers.

同義詞
  • shoulder

    standard American English term; can be paved or unpaved.

  • verge

    British English term for a grass strip beside a road, often wider than a berm.

  • hard shoulder

    paved emergency lane on a motorway, not the same as an unpaved berm.

文法句型

pull onto the berm

on the berm

along the berm

用法筆記

Common in American English for the unpaved shoulder of a road. In British English, 'verge' is more frequently used for a grass strip beside a road.

常見錯誤

❌He stopped the car on the berm of the highway.
✅He pulled the car onto the shoulder of the highway.
💡On a paved highway with a hard shoulder, 'berm' usually refers to an unpaved dirt or gravel strip, not the paved emergency lane.

3. a narrow, flat ledge of ground on a sloping surface, located near the top or clo

3.名詞C1
釋義

a narrow, flat ledge of ground on a sloping surface, located near the top or close to the base of a bank, canal, hill, or embankment.

例句

The hikers stopped to rest on a flat berm halfway up the steep mountain trail.

berm as rest point on mountain trail

A narrow berm at the canal base stopped floodwater from reaching the nearby fields.

同義詞
  • ledge

    narrower and rockier, usually projecting from a cliff or rock face rather than a grass or earth slope.

  • shelf

    more horizontal and often smaller, used mainly in geology for rock formations.

  • terrace

    larger and more level, often used for farming or walking on a hillside.

文法句型

berm + at the top/bottom of + slope/bank

berm + along + canal/hill

用法筆記

Frequently used in descriptions of canal banks, railway cuttings, coastal defences, and landscaping where a level surface is created on a slope.