dene
Pluraldenes
- 1A valley, especially the deep valley cut by a stream or small brook.
A footpath follows the burn through the wooded dene down to the coast.
As children we spent whole summers building dams in the denes behind the houses.
Similarvalley, dell, glen, dale, ravine
Note
A Northumbrian word that has come down from Old English with its spelling unchanged: dene then, dene now. Its typical use is the narrow, deep valley a stream has worn, often wooded, with a path running beside the water. The seaside dune only shares the spelling; it is a separate word with a separate origin.
- 2A sand dune lying along the seashore.
The fishermen hauled their boats up past the dene, well out of reach of the tide.
A sandy path winds through the denes to the old lifeboat station on the beach.
Similardune
Note
A shoreline word of uncertain origin, perhaps related to Middle Low German düne, "dune", which would account for how closely it resembles dune itself. It names the sand hills lining a beach, and it takes a plural freely when a whole stretch of them is meant: a path winding through the denes.
Practice
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Origins
From Middle English dene, which comes from Old English dene.
Perhaps related to Middle Low German düne (“dune”).