# valley

Pronunciation: say "VAL-ee" /ˈvæli/

## Noun

1. An elongated low area of land between hills or mountains, often with a river flowing through it.
   - Simple: A low area of land between hills or mountains, often with a river.
   - _The river winds through a broad valley flanked by steep limestone ridges._
   - _Farmers in the valley rely on the spring floods to enrich their fields._
2. An area of land whose streams and rainfall all drain into a single river.
   - Simple: The whole area of land where rain and streams flow down into one river.
   - _The Thames valley collects rainfall from much of south-east England and carries it to the sea._
   - _The Mississippi Valley covers a huge part of the country, since water from dozens of states eventually drains into that one river._
3. A dip or channel resembling a valley, especially the interior angle formed where two sloping roof planes meet.
   - Simple: The inward angle where two sloping parts of a roof meet, where rain runs down.
   - _Water pooled in the valley between the two roof sections after the storm._
   - _The builder lined each valley with metal flashing to guide rain into the gutters._

## Verb

4. To take on the form of a valley, dipping or curving downward as the land does between heights. *(rare)*
   - Simple: To curve downward into the shape of a valley.

## Origin

Latin vallēs or vallis passed into Anglo-Norman as valey and into Old French as valee (compare modern French vallée), and English took it as Middle English valey. The word pushed out the native dene and partly took the place of dale.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/valley (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).