polder
/ˈpəʊldə
/noun
A piece of low-lying land reclaimed from the sea or a river and protected by dykes, especially in the Netherlands.Much of the western part of the country is polders (low-lying lands) that have been reclaimed from the sea by dikes and dunes....
- This was the result of the gradual accumulation of silt in the river bed, brought down from overcultivated, erosion-prone slopes up-river, and of the excessive building of dikes in the lake areas to protect newly reclaimed polders.
- There are 3500 polders (areas of reclaimed land) in the Netherlands, so the Dutch clearly enjoyed playing God.
Origin
Early 17th century: from Dutch, from Middle Dutch polre.