ravine
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
- raviney adjective
Etymology
Origin of ravine
1400–50; late Middle English < Middle French: torrent, Old French: a violent rushing; 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.
“We left the wild running ravine in the back of the house and we built what I called the art deck,” she adds.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
And in 2019, at least 35 people were killed when a bus plunged into a ravine on the western island of Sumatra.
From Barron's • Dec. 22, 2025
BARCELONA, Spain—The rock-strewn path hugs the jagged peaks of the Montserrat mountains, winding along a deep ravine for much of the way.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025
Jay Slater's death was accidental after he fell down a ravine in Tenerife, a coroner has concluded.
From BBC • Jul. 25, 2025
The rumble of tires on the unpaved road echoes in the ravine.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
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.
