ravine
Americannoun
-
ravines
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of ravine
1400–50; late Middle English < Middle French: torrent, Old French: a violent rushing; see raven 2
Explanation
In a Western, outlaws will lie in wait at the top of a ravine, or narrow valley, until they see a traveler entering at the bottom. Then, the outlaws will come pounding down the ravine's steep sides. Ravines can be lonely and violent places averse to settlement as nothing can be built along their steep sides. The word ravine itself derives from the archaic rapin, which is a violent seizure of property. During times of heavy rains and snow melt, a ravine may be filled with violent, rushing water.
Vocabulary lists containing ravine
"The Ravine," Vocabulary from the short story
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Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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"The Ravine" by Graham Salisbury
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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.
See Examples For:
For more than 40 years, starting in the 1960s when Greenville was a hub of the textile industry, much of the ravine was obscured by a four-lane bridge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Out the window, I noticed a spot in the alley where the thawing and freezing of ice had created a ravine, where car tires would get lodged and trap the driver.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
A separate, smaller fire in a ravine near Valencia in the east meanwhile killed one person, the local authority in the affected town of Manises said on X, without giving further details.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Among those caught up in the fire were a British couple, who were found down a ravine, badly burned and semi-conscious, local media reported.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
The bard shrugged and shook his head, but followed Taran across the rolling fields into a shallow ravine.
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
He described the fire as a "very complex, very fast-moving" outbreak in a region with many ravines where it is difficult to use heavy machines and homes in forested areas.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
In the most commanding painting of this section, Jeong Seon’s “Clearing After Rain on Mt. Inwang” from 1751, roiling clusters of dark hills are split by hidden ravines and jutting waterfalls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
"They've lots of humidity supporting mosses, lichens, and complex woodland structures, including ravines, rivers and rocky outcrops."
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
That was particularly threatening to people living in the steep hills and ravines around Acapulco’s bay, which are susceptible to mudslides.
From New York Times ● Oct. 25, 2023
I added blue streams that run through the ravines, and then placed my wooden figurines: a sandal, a disc with a smiley face painted on.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
