Ravine
/rəˈviːn/noun
A long, narrow valley with steep sides, often cut by running water.
Did you know?The word entered English through French, but its older roots are tied to a Latin idea of violent rushing or carrying away, which is why ravines feel so physically dramatic in the language of landscape.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
rapīre
“to seize, snatch, carry off”
Late Latin
Latin
rapīna
“plunder, robbery”
Old French
Old French
ravine
“mountain torrent; rushing stream; erosion gully”
Middle French
Old French
ravine
“steep-sided gully or valley cut by water”
18th Century
English
ravine
“a deep, narrow valley with steep sides”