How did this simple word elude me all these decades? It refers to a strip of land or grass, a bank, or a terrace bordering a river, canal or road. Or an embankment, such as one built as a defence against tanks. Or a slim space between a ditch and the base of a parapet. From French berme, and Dutch berm. ‘Berms of the road.’
Source: Barry Lopez, Arctic Dreams, p. 393
