1. the outside or downhill side of a ditch or trench 2. the shoulder of a road 3. a natural or constructed levee, shelf, ledge, groyne, or bench along a stream bank that may extend laterally into the channel to partially obstruct the flow, or parallel to the flow to contain the flow within its stream banks 4. fire a ridge of soil and debris along the edge of a fireline resulting from line construction —note a berm is often created on the downhill side to stop burning or potentially burning material from rolling This definition last updated 10/24/2008