glen
noun
a small, narrow, secluded valley.
glen
1 American
[glen]
/ glɛn /
noun
Glen
2
American
[glen]
/ glɛn /
noun
glen
British
/ ɡlɛn /
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of glen
1480–90; < Irish, Scots Gaelic gleann; cognate with Welsh glynn
Explanation
A glen is a narrow valley deep in the mountains. Glens often form streams. The top of a mountain is the peak, and the lower parts are valleys. A glen is a valley that's narrow and secluded—it’s deep in the mountains. A glen could form a stream, or it could be lush and green. If you are on top of a mountain looking down, you may see several glens.
Vocabulary lists containing glen
St. Patrick's Day Vocabulary: Words With Irish and Gaelic Roots
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"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
First-Name Basis: Words That Are Also Names
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Apologies for the brief brag, but I gave up quite a few racetrack days at Watkins Glen to make that happen — so it feels like a hard-earned win.
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
He signed with Columbia Records and called himself “The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy,” releasing an album of the same name in 1974 — one year before Glen Campbell released his hit song “Rhinestone Cowboy.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
The experiment took place in 2020 in the Glen Torridon region, an area rich in clay minerals that formed in the presence of water.
From Science Daily • Apr. 28, 2026
Another home in Valley Glen was targeted the next day, with police responding to a call at a house in the 6800 block of Vanscoy Avenue.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026
So many people in Shady Glen had lost the people they loved, because their spouses had died or their children had moved away.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
