swale (sw l)n. 1. A low tract of land, especially when moist or marshy. 2. A long, narrow, usually shallow trough between ridges on a beach, running parallel to the coastline. 3. A shallow troughlike depression that carries water mainly during rainstorms or snow melts. [Perhaps from Middle English, shade, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse svalr, cool.] |
swale [sweɪl]
n
(Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) Chiefly US
a. a moist depression in a tract of land, usually with rank vegetation
b. (as modifier) swell and swale topography
[probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse svala to chill]
Swale timber planking, 1597.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | swale - a low area (especially a marshy area between ridges) trough - a narrow depression (as in the earth or between ocean waves or in the ocean bed) |
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