wadi

[ wah-dee ]

/ ˈwɑ di /

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See synonyms for wadi on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural wa·dis.(in Arabia, Syria, northern Africa, etc.)

the channel of a watercourse that is dry except during periods of rainfall.

such a stream or watercourse itself.

a valley.

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Also wa·dy .

Origin of wadi

First recorded in 1830–40, wadi is from the Arabic word wādī

Words nearby wadi

wade, Wade-Giles system, wade in, wader, waders, wadi, Wadi Halfa, wading bird, wading pool, wadmal, Wad Medani

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wadi in a sentence

Most Allentown residents of Syrian heritage are Orthodox Christians from the Wadi-al-Nasara region in western Homs province.
Welcome to Assadville, USA|Christopher Moraff|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even with a GPS, it was easy to get disoriented in a wadi, or to mistake one trail for another.
The Fourth War: My Lunch with a Jihadi|Elliot Ackerman|January 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hadeel, a vivacious 27-year-old from the Wadi Ara region, teaches Arabic in a Jewish Israeli elementary school.
What American Jews Can Learn From ‘Dove’s Cry’|Sigal Samuel|November 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
What he may not know is that from this museum, the site of the Deir Yassin massacre is visible just across the wadi.
Mr. President, Don’t Forget The Nakba|Yousef Munayyer|March 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST

He knows the topography and geography of Israel/Palestine, literally street by street and wadi by wadi.
How to Revive The Peace Process: A Modest Proposal|Letty Cottin Pogrebin|May 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Melons are also extensively cultivated here, more particularly in Wadi, and are preserved for some time by hanging.
The Caravan Route between Egypt and Syria|Ludwig Salvator
The large palm wood lies to the right of the Wadi, and stretches down nearly to the sea.
The Caravan Route between Egypt and Syria|Ludwig Salvator
To the left of the Wadi are many vegetable gardens, with numerous wells.
The Caravan Route between Egypt and Syria|Ludwig Salvator
The wood stretches for some distance over the broad surface of the Wadi, which, when swollen, frequently uproots many trees.
The Caravan Route between Egypt and Syria|Ludwig Salvator
Then we reached the opposite side of the Wadi, of cliff-like character, the clay of which is much worn away by the water.
The Caravan Route between Egypt and Syria|Ludwig Salvator

British Dictionary definitions for wadi

wadi

wady

/ (ˈwɒdɪ) /

noun plural -dies

a watercourse in N Africa and Arabia, dry except in the rainy season

Word Origin for wadi

C19: from Arabic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012