Word
wadi
Phoneticswa·di
US/ˈwɑˌdi/
UK/wˈɒdi/
Definition
n. a dry riverbed or valley in a desert that only has water during a rainstorm. It is a common feature in the Middle East and North Africa.
n. a dry riverbed or valley in an arid region that contains water only during the rainy season. Often used in geographical and geological contexts to describe specific landforms in desert environments.
Examples
“The hikers followed the wadi to find a place to camp.”
“During the heavy monsoon rains, the dry wadi transformed into a rushing stream that carved deeper into the sandstone.”
“The ancient city was built on the edge of a deep wadi, providing a natural defensive barrier against invaders while still allowing access to seasonal water sources for agriculture.”
Examples
simple
“The hikers followed the wadi to find a place to camp.”
contextual
“During the heavy monsoon rains, the dry wadi transformed into a rushing stream that carved deeper into the sandstone.”
complex
“The ancient city was built on the edge of a deep wadi, providing a natural defensive barrier against invaders while still allowing access to seasonal water sources for agriculture.”
Real-World Examples
“When this massive wadi floods, it dumps enormous quantities of sand and silt at the coast, creating a delta that's continuously reshaped by wind and tide.” “Over the centuries, the tomb was prone to repeated flash flooding due to its location within an active drainage channel of the Wadi Hatasun, so it’s a complex site, archaeologically speaking.” Etymology
From Arabic وَادِي, وَادٍ (wādī, wādin, “valley, riverbed, ravine”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/wadi