[pohl-der] 
| a tract of low land, esp. in the Netherlands, reclaimed from the sea or other body of water and protected by dikes. |
| pol·der (pōl'dər) n. An area of low-lying land, especially in the Netherlands, that has been reclaimed from a body of water and is protected by dikes. [Dutch, from Middle Dutch.] |
polder
tract of lowland reclaimed from a body of water, often the sea, by the construction of dikes roughly parallel to the shoreline, followed by drainage of the area between the dikes and the natural coastline. Where the land surface is above low-tide level, the water may be drained off through tide gates, which discharge water into the sea at low tide and automatically close to prevent re-entry of seawater at high tide. To reclaim lands that are below low-tide level, the water must be pumped over the dikes. If a sediment-laden stream can be diverted into the polder area, the sediment may serve to build up the polder bottom to a higher level, thus facilitating drainage.
Learn more about polder with a free trial on Britannica.com.