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val·ley

(vălē)

n. pl. val·leys

1. An elongated lowland between ranges of mountains, hills, or other uplands, often having a river or stream running along the bottom.

2. An extensive area of land drained or irrigated by a river system.

3. A depression or hollow resembling or suggesting a valley, as the point at which the two slopes of a roof meet.

[Middle English valey, from Old French valee, from Vulgar Latin *vallāta, from Latin vallēs; see wel-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

valleyed adj.

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valley

Sacred Valley of the Incas, near Cuzco, Peru

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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