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

Example Sentences

The gutters help direct rainfall into pipes that drain into the swales.

From Los Angeles Times

According to a city staff report, the city seeks to do so by filling fissures that have developed, constructing drainage swales that will divert runoff to the ocean and installing “dewatering wells” to extract groundwater.

From Los Angeles Times

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

No home damage was reported, but the land movement had “undermined a paved terrace swale,” the report said.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bog
• marshland
• morass
• mud
• quagmire