Valley

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: Val=ley

CIDE DICTIONARY

Valley, n. [OE. vale, valeie, OF. valée, valede, F. vallée, LL. vallata, L. vallis, valles. See Vale.].

•  The space inclosed between ranges of hills or mountains; the strip of land at the bottom of the depressions intersecting a country, including usually the bed of a stream, with frequently broad alluvial plains on one or both sides of the stream. Also used figuratively.  [1913 Webster]

  " Deep and narrow valleys with abrupt sides are usually the results of erosion by water, and are called gorges, ravines, cañons, gulches, etc."  [1913 Webster]

  "The valley of the shadow of death."  [1913 Webster]

  "Sweet interchange
  Of hill and valley, rivers, woods, and plains."  [1913 Webster]
•  The place of meeting of two slopes of a roof, which have their plates running in different directions, and form on the plan a reëntrant angle.  [1913 Webster]

Valley board (Arch.), a board for the reception of the lead gutter in the valley of a roof. The valley board and lead gutter are not usual in the United States. -- Valley rafter, or Valley piece (Arch.), the rafter which supports the valley. -- Valley roof (Arch.), a roof having one or more valleys. See Valley, 2, above.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Valley, n. (pl. -eys)
1 a low area more or less enclosed by hills and usu. with a stream flowing through it.
2 any depression compared to this.
3 Archit. an internal angle formed by the intersecting planes of a roof.

Etymology

ME f. AF valey, OF valee ult. f. L vallis, valles: cf. VALE(1)

THESAURUS

Valley

abysm, abyss, arroyo, bottom, bottom glade, bottoms, box canyon, breach, break, canyon, cavity, chap, chasm, check, chimney, chink, cirque, cleft, cleuch, clough, col, comb, combe, corrie, coulee, couloir, crack, cranny, crevasse, crevice, cut, cwm, dale, defile, dell, dike, dingle, ditch, donga, draw, excavation, fault, fissure, flaw, flume, fracture, furrow, gap, gape, gash, gill, glen, gorge, groove, grove, gulch, gulf, gully, hole, hollow, incision, intervale, joint, kloof, leak, lunar rill, moat, notch, nullah, opening, pass, passage, ravine, rent, rift, rime, rupture, scissure, seam, slit, slot, split, strath, trench, trough, vale, void, wadi

ROGET THESAURUS

Valley

Concavity

N concavity, depression, dip, hollow, hollowness, indentation, intaglio, cavity, dent, dint, dimple, follicle, pit, sinus, alveolus, lacuna, excavation, strip mine, trough, honeycomb, cup, basin, crater, punch bowl, cell, socket, valley, vale, dale, dell, dingle, combe, bottom, slade, strath, glade, grove, glen, cave, cavern, cove, grot, grotto, alcove, cul-de- sac, gully, arch, bay, excavator, sapper, miner, honeycomb (sponge), depressed, alveolate, calathiform, cup-shaped, dishing, favaginous, faveolate, favose, scyphiform, scyphose, concave, hollow, stove in, retiring, retreating, cavernous, porous, infundibul, infundibular, infundibuliform, funnel shaped, bell shaped, campaniform, capsular, vaulted, arched.