堤|つつみtsutsumi[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. nounbank; embankment; dike
2. nounreservoir; pond

• Synonym土手どてNeutralAn earthen bank or slope along a river, common in speech; 「堤」 is more at home in written prose and can also mean a reservoir.
• Synonym堤防ていぼうWrittenA formal, written term for flood-control embankments and levees; 「堤」 is the general word for earthen banks along rivers and ponds.
• Related堰せきWrittenA written term for a weir or barrier built to hold back water; 「堤」 is an earthen bank along the water's edge.
• RelatedダムNeutralA loanword for a dam built across a river or valley or around a hollow; 「堤」 is an earthen bank along the water.
• Related築堤ちくていWrittenWritten language for building an embankment, or one so built; 「堤」 is the bank itself.

For an earthen bank along a river or pond, use 「堤」, which leans written; say 「土手」 in speech, 「堤防」 for flood-control levees, 「ダム」 for dams, and 「堰」 for weirs.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 川かわや池いけの水みずが溢あふれないように、縁えんに土砂どしゃを高たかく盛もったもの。