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coulee
[ koo-lee ]
/ ˈku li /
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noun
Chiefly Western U.S. and Western Canada. a deep ravine or gulch, usually dry, that has been formed by running water.
a small valley.
a low-lying area.
a small intermittent stream.
Geology. a stream of lava.
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Origin of coulee
1800–10, Americanism;<Canadian French, French: a flowing, noun use of feminine of coulé, past participle of couler to flow <Latin cōlāre to filter, strain, derivative of cōlum strainer, sieve; cf. colander, portcullis
Words nearby coulee
cough up, could, couldn't, couldn't care less, couldst, coulee, coulibiac, coulibiaca, coulis, coulisse, couloir
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use coulee in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for coulee
coulee
/ (ˈkuːleɪ, -lɪ) /
noun
- a flow of molten lava
- such lava when solidified
Western US and Canadian a dry stream valley, especially a long steep-sided gorge or ravine that once carried melt water from a glacier
a small intermittent stream in such a ravine
Word Origin for coulee
C19: from Canadian French coulée a flow, from French, from couler to flow, from Latin cōlāre to sift, purify; see colander
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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