You're right Helen.

berm (bûrm)
n.

A narrow ledge or shelf, as along the top or bottom of a slope.
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, & West Virginia. The shoulder of a road.
A raised bank or path, especially the bank of a canal opposite the towpath.
A terrace formed by wave action along the backshore of a beach.
A mound or bank of earth, used especially as a barrier or to provide insulation.
A ledge between the parapet and the moat in a fortification.
tr.v., bermed, berm·ing, berms.
To provide with a berm or berms.

[French berme, from Dutch berm, from Middle Dutch bærm, berme.]


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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.