A raised ridge of earth serving, usually, as a kind of barrier.
narrow shelf or ledge at the top or bottom of a slope
Narrow ledge; narrow path by road, canal, etc.; American, canal bank opposite towing path.
On a beach, a ridge of sand or pebbles running parallel to the water’s edge, formed by the action of the waves on beach material. Sand and pebbles are deposited at the farthest extent of swash (advance of water) to form a berm. Berms can also be formed well up a beach following a storm, when they are known as storm berms.
The UN coalition forces in the Gulf War adopted the term to mean a temporary defensive barrier formed by bulldozing the desert sand into a ridge.