A levee , levÃ e ( from the feminine past participle of the French verb lever , `` to raise '' ) , floodbank or stopbank is a natural or artificial slope or wall , usually earthen and often parallels the course of a river . Linguists agree that the term `` levee '' came into English use in New Orleans circa 1672 . The word levee , from the French word levÃ e ( from the feminine past participle of the French verb lever , `` to raise '' ) , is used in American English ( notably in the Midwest and Deep South ) ; it came into English use in New Orleans circa 1720 .