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Swale vs Sward - What's the difference?

swale | sward |

As nouns the difference between swale and sward

is that swale is a low tract of moist or marshy land or swale can be (uk|dialect) a gutter in a candle while sward is (lb) a layer of earth into which grass has grown; turf; sod.

As a verb swale

is (melt and waste away, or singe).

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

    *

    sward

    English

    Alternative forms

    * swarth * swart * swerd

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (lb) A layer of earth into which grass has grown; turf; sod.
  • * (1809-1892)
  • *:The sward was trim as any garden lawn.
  • (lb) An expanse of land covered in grass; a lawn or meadow.
  • *
  • *:It was not far from the house; but the ground sank into a depression there, and the ridge of it behind shut out everything except just the roof of the tallest hayrick. As one sat on the sward behind the elm, with the back turned on the rick and nothing in front but the tall elms and the oaks in the other hedge, it was quite easy to fancy it the verge of the prairie with the backwoods close by.
  • *1890 , (Arthur Conan Doyle), ''(w) Company
  • *:.
  • *1918 , (Booth Tarkington), ''(w) Ambersons
  • *:Only where George stood was there left a sward as of yore; the great, level, green lawn that served for both the Major's house and his daughter's.
  • Skin; covering.
  • :(Halliwell)

    • Synonyms

    * (earth into which grass has grown ): grass, turf, sod * (land covered with grass ): clearing, field, greensward, lawn, meadow, yard

    Derived terms

    * greensward

    Anagrams

    * *

    References