swale
[ sweyl ]
/ sweɪl /
noun Chiefly Northeastern U.S.
a low place in a tract of land, usually moister and often having ranker vegetation than the adjacent higher land.
a valleylike intersection of two slopes in a piece of land.
QUIZZES
Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following bird names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Words nearby swale
swahili, swain, swainson's hawk, swainson's thrush, swakara, swale, swaledale, swalk, swallet, swallow, swallow dive
Origin of swale
1400–50; late Middle English; originally a cool, shady spot, perhaps < Old Norse svalr cool, or svalir a covered porch
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for swale
British Dictionary definitions for swale
swale
/ (sweɪl) /
noun
mainly US
- a moist depression in a tract of land, usually with rank vegetation
- (as modifier)swell and swale topography
Word Origin for swale
C16: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse svala to chill
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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