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rille

 - 4 dictionary results

rill

2  [ril]
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–noun Astronomy.
any of certain long, narrow, straight or sinuous trenches or valleys observed on the surface of the moon.
Also, rille.

Origin:
1885–90; < G Rille; see rill 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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rill also rille   (rĭl)   
n.  

  1. A small brook; a rivulet.

  2. A long narrow straight valley on the moon's surface.


[Low German rille or Dutch ril, running stream; see rei- in Indo-European roots.]
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

rill 
"small brook, rivulet," 1538, from Du. ril, Low Ger. rille "groove, furrow," probably from P.Gmc. *riðele (cf. O.E. rið, riþe "brook, stream," which survives only in obscure Eng. dialects), a diminutive form from PIE base *reie- "to run, flow" (see Rhine).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

rille

any of various valleys or trenches on the surface of the Moon. The term was introduced by early telescopic observers-probably the German astronomer Johann Schroter about 1800-to denote such lunar features. The word rima (from Latin, "fissure") is often used for the same kind of features.

Learn more about rille with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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