swale

See also: Swale

English

Possibly, from Middle English, "shade", perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse svalr

swale (plural swales)

A low tract of moist or marshy land.
A long narrow and shallow trough between ridges on a beach, running parallel to the coastline.
A shallow troughlike depression that's created to carry water during rainstorms or snow melts; a drainage ditch.
A shallow, usually grassy depression sloping downward from a plains upland meadow or level vegetated ridgetop.
- 1912, Zane Grey, Riders of the Purple Sage, Chapter 6
  Jane climbed a few more paces behind him and then peeped over the ridge. Just beyond began a shallow swale that deepened and widened into a valley, and then swung to the left.
A shallow trough dug into the land on contour (horizontally with no slope). Its purpose being to allow water time to percolate into the soil.

low tract of moist or marshy land

long narrow and shallow trough between ridges on a beach

shallow troughlike depression created to carry water

shallow depression sloping downward from a meadow

See sweal.

swale (plural swales)

swale (third-person singular simple present swales, present participle swaling, simple past and past participle swaled)

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