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coulee

 - 4 dictionary results

cou⋅lee

  [koo-lee]
Use coulee in a Sentence
–noun
1. Chiefly Western U.S. and Western Canada. a deep ravine or gulch, usually dry, that has been formed by running water.
2. a small valley.
3. a low-lying area.
4. a small intermittent stream.
5. Geology. a stream of lava.
Origin:
1800–10, Americanism; < CanF, F: a flowing, n. use of fem of coulé, ptp. of couler to flow < L cōlāre to filter, strain, deriv. of cōlum strainer, sieve; cf. colander, portcullis
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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cou·lee   (kōō'lē)   
n.  

  1. Western U.S. A deep gulch or ravine with sloping sides, often dry in summer.

  2. Louisiana & Southern Mississippi

    1. A streambed, often dry according to the season.

    2. A small stream, bayou, or canal.

    3. A stream of molten lava.

    4. A sheet of solidified lava.

  3. Upper Midwest A valley with hills on either side.

    1. A stream of molten lava.

    2. A sheet of solidified lava.


[Canadian French coulée, from French, flow, from couler, to flow, from Latin cōlāre, to filter, from cōlum, sieve.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

coulee 
"deep ravine, seasonally flooded," 1807, a N.Amer. word, originally in areas explored by Fr. trappers, from Fr. coulée "flow," from couler "to flow."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

coulee

a dry channel lying in a semiarid or desert area and subject to flash flooding during seasonal or irregular rainstorms. Such transitory streams, rivers, or creeks are noted for their gullying effects and especially for their rapid rates of erosion, transportation, and deposition. There have been reports of up to 8 feet (2 m) of deposition in 60 years and like amounts of erosion during a single flood event

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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