1
hold a levee for [someone]
此处 levee 是名词，指正式接见（旧时也指君王早晨会见臣属的仪式）。
The queen held a levee for the visiting ambassadors.
女王为到访的大使们举行了一次正式接见。
正式接见；早朝
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
正式接见；早朝
a formal reception of visitors or guests (as at a royal court)
The queen held a levee for the visiting ambassadors.
女王为到访的大使们举行了一次正式接见。
此处指正式接见；作“防洪堤”讲时是另一词义。
河岸上由河流高水位时泛滥沉积形成的隆起泥沙带。
An elevated ridge of deposited sediment on the banks of a river, formed by the river's overflow at times of high discharge.
起床后接待访客的仪式。
A reception of visitors held after getting up.
正式接待会
a formal reception of visitors or guests (as at a royal court)
防洪堤；如密西西比河沿岸的堤防。
An embankment to prevent inundation; as, the levees along the Mississippi.
The ambassador attended the king's levee this morning.
大使今天早上参加了国王的早朝。
At the levee, guests were presented to the queen one by one.
在早朝上，宾客们被逐一引见给女王。
The palace held a levee to welcome the visiting diplomats.
王宫举行了一场正式接见，欢迎来访的外交官。
此处 levee 是名词，指正式接见（旧时也指君王早晨会见臣属的仪式）。
The queen held a levee for the visiting ambassadors.
女王为到访的大使们举行了一次正式接见。
levee 作“堤岸”解时，常用作 hold 或 break 的主语，表示堤坝“挺住”或“溃决”。
The levee held, so the town was safe.
大堤挺住了，所以小镇安然无恙。
levee 作动词时是及物动词，意为“为…筑堤”，过去式为 leveed，现在分词为 leveeing。
The city leveed the riverbank after the flood.
洪水过后，这座城市为河岸筑了堤。
Not this
The government decided to levee new taxes.
Use this
The government decided to levy new taxes.
levee 作动词的意思是“修筑堤坝”，没有“征收”的意思；levy 才是“征收（税、费）”的动词。二者发音相同，学习者容易混淆拼写。改成 levy 后搭配 taxes 才正确。
Not this
The prince met his guests at levee.
Use this
The prince met his guests at the levee.
这里 levee 表示“正式接见、招待会”，是可数名词，前面需要限定词 the。汉语中没有冠词，学习者容易漏掉，因此补上 the 才符合英语表达。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
御前早朝
The ambassador attended a royal levee at the palace.
大使在王宫出席了一次御前早朝。
举行早朝接见
The queen held a levee every morning for her courtiers.
女王每天早晨为朝臣举行早朝接见。
出席早朝接见
Foreign diplomats were required to attend the levee.
外交官们必须出席早朝接见。
晨间接见
The minister arrived at the palace for the morning levee.
大臣抵达王宫参加晨间接见。
当堤坝决口时，我将无处容身。
Led Zeppelin made the blues song 'When the Levee Breaks' famous, and the narrator fears losing his home if the levee breaks.
Led Zeppelin让布鲁斯歌曲《When the Levee Breaks》广为人知，歌中叙述者担心堤坝决口就会失去家园。
发长 /iː/ 音 (如 see, free)
Use levee naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
记忆：levee 形似 level，河堤顶部像 level 一样平；早朝时百官列队也像一条堤坝。
语域：formal 常见场景：royal court、formal reception 该义项指君主或王室在早晨举行的正式接见仪式，通常用于历史叙述或非常正式的场合，现代英语中比较少见。
levy /ˈlɛvi/ 与 levee 读音完全相同；heavy /ˈhɛvi/、bevy /ˈbɛvi/ 与 levee 押韵。注意 coffee /ˈkɒfi/ 和 committee /kəˈmɪti/ 虽然也以 -ee 结尾，但重读元音不同，读起来并不与 levee 押韵。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.