noun
retaining wall; sheathing
A structure that holds back earth, such as a retaining wall or temporary sheathing used in construction and civil engineering.
工事現場に土留めが設置された。
A retaining wall was installed at the construction site.
土留めの設計には土圧を考慮する必要がある。
The design of the retaining wall must take earth pressure into account.
擁壁 is a more formal term for a permanent retaining wall, while 土留め can also refer to temporary sheathing or earth-retaining structures during construction.
Compound of 土 (earth) and 留め (stopping, holding). The spelling 土止め uses 止め (stop) with a similar meaning.