Berm

[scw1217]

Struck me as a funny little word.

berm

–noun
1. Also, berme. Fortification. a horizontal surface between the exterior slope of a rampart and the moat.
2. Also called bench. any level strip of ground at the summit or sides, or along the base, of a slope.
3. Also called backshore, beach berm. a nearly flat back portion of a beach, formed of material deposited by the action of the waves.
4. Chiefly Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. the bank of a canal or the shoulder of a road.
5. Chiefly Alaska. a mound of snow or dirt, as formed when clearing land.
6. a bank of earth placed against an exterior wall or walls of a house or other building as protection against extremes of temperature.
–verb (used with object)
7. to cover or protect with a berm: The side walls were bermed to a height of three feet.

And word history

berm
"narrow ledge," 1729, from Fr. berme (17c.), from O.Du. baerm "edge of a dike," related to brim (q.v.). In U.S., 19c., "the bank of a canal opposite the tow path."

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/berm

[Slava]

Odd, none of the definitions describe what I know as a berm.

Though they resemble in a way some of the definitions given here, those definitions do not mention the idea of that block of concrete at the end of the parking spot that keeps your car from going any further. We call those doo-hickeys berms in my area.

[scw1217]

I think they should add "doo-hickey berms" to the definition!

[skinem]

I usually relate this word to the road and/or motorcycles. I used to race motocross roughly a hundred years ago (feels like it) and ended up all too often in the berm...

Nice word...thanks for the suggestion!

(I call those doo-hickey's berms as well.)