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Ditch vs Swale - What's the difference?

ditch | swale |

As verbs the difference between ditch and swale

is that ditch is alternative form of lang=en while swale is alternative form of nodot=yes lang=en (melt and waste away, or singe.

As nouns the difference between ditch and swale

is that ditch is alternative form of lang=en while swale is a low tract of moist or marshy land.

ditch

English

Etymology 1

From earlier deche, from (etyl) dechen, from (etyl) .

Verb

(es)

    • Noun

    (en-noun)

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) dich, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (es)
  • A trench; a long, shallow indentation, as for irrigation or drainage.
    • Digging ditches has long been considered one of the most demanding forms of manual labor.
    Derived terms
    * ditchdigger * ditch weed * ditcher * ox is in the ditch
    See also
    * fosse * moat

    Verb

  • To discard or abandon.
    • Once the sun came out we ditched our rain-gear and started a campfire.
  • To deliberately crash-land an airplane on the sea.
    • When the second engine failed, the pilot was forced to ditch ; their last location was just south of the Azores.
  • To deliberately not attend classes; to play hookey.
    • The truant officer caught Louise ditching with her friends, and her parents were forced to pay a fine.
  • To dig ditches.
    • Enclosure led to fuller winter employment in hedging and ditching .
  • To dig ditches around.
    • The soldiers ditched the tent to prevent flooding.
  • To throw into a ditch.
    • The engine was ditched and turned on its side.
    Synonyms
    * abandon * discard * dump * jettison * lose * shed * See also

    swale

    English

    Etymology 1

    , from (etyl), "shade", perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to (etyl) svalr

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A low tract of moist or marshy land.
  • A long narrow and shallow trough between ridges on a beach, running parallel to the coastline.
  • A shallow troughlike depression that's created to carry water during rainstorms or snow melts; a drainage ditch.
  • A shallow, usually grassy depression sloping downward from a plains upland meadow or level vegetated ridgetop.
  • *
    • Jane climbed a few more paces behind him and then peeped over the ridge. Just beyond began a shallow swale that deepened and widened into a valley, and then swung to the left.
  • A shallow trough dug into the land on contour (horizontally with no slope). Its purpose being to allow water time to percolate into the soil.

    • Etymology 2

    See sweal.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (UK, dialect) A gutter in a candle.

    • Verb

    (swal)
  • (melt and waste away, or singe)

    • Anagrams

    *