swale

American  

[sweyl] / sweɪl /

noun

Chiefly Northeastern U.S.

1. a low place in a tract of land, usually moister and often having ranker vegetation than the adjacent higher land.

2. a valleylike intersection of two slopes in a piece of land.

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swale British  

/ sweɪl /

noun

1. 1. a moist depression in a tract of land, usually with rank vegetation

   2. ( as modifier )

      swell and swale topography

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Etymology

Origin of swale

1400–50; late Middle English; originally a cool, shady spot, perhaps < Old Norse svalr cool, or svalir a covered porch

Explanation

A swale is a low, damp piece of land. You might want to avoid walking through the swale on your road in your brand new suede shoes. An area of ground marked by raised ridges might also have swales between them. Many swales are natural land formations, but others are made on purpose to direct rainwater, manage runoff, and conserve the soil. These deliberate swales help spread rainwater across a wide section of land, rather than allowing it to flow quickly in one direction. Swale comes from the Scottish swaill, "low place," or the East Anglican swale, "shady place."

Example Sentences

The land here was laser-leveled, and workers carved a swale to give juvenile salmon a way in and out when the plain floods.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2024

“A swale is cheap and affordable and can handle much more water than a rain barrel,” Bautista said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2023

Rahm read a 58-footer over a hill and through a swale.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 24, 2021

And a fine scramble by Spieth, who gets up and down from the swale to the right of the green, knocking in another of those breath-shortening tiddlers.

From The Guardian • Jul. 18, 2021

He saw Garnett move down, thought for a moment, but no, he was moving down into that one swale, the protected area Pickett had spoken of.

From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara

Related Words

• bog
• marshland
• morass
• mud
• quagmire