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Glite Dictionary
nullah

nullah

9.9
A steep narrow valley that is usually dry but fills with water in heavy rain
  • noun
  • /ˈnʌlə/
  • Indian
translation icon : nullah
  • The heavy rains filled the dry nullah with rushing water, creating a temporary river.

Examples

  • Ignoring the goat path that forked off to the left and would have taken him to the crest of the hill, he crossed the nullah with some difficulty, stepping from rock to exposed rock, balancing himself on one and testing the other for stability before daring to take another step.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • The lane branched off to the right into a winding path that brought him to the upper reaches of the Tivolem nullah.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • After the storm, the nullah that usually lay dry was full of debris and rushing floodwaters.

  • The hikers carefully made their way down the steep sides of the nullah to reach the valley floor.

Synonyms

ravine
vsnullah
46 5.8

A deep narrow valley with steep sides made by a river

is often dry except in the rainy season
gorge
vsnullah
32 5.3

A deep narrow valley with steep rocky sides, often with a river

is similar but usually dry except during the rainy season
gulch
vsnullah
  • US
9 9.5

A narrow valley with steep sides and a small stream

is similar but tends to be dry except during the rainy season
draw
vsnullah
  • US
7 7.9

A shallow valley or gully where water may flow

is steeper and typically dry except during rains
flume
vsnullah
1 9.5

A deep narrow valley with steep sides and a stream running through it

is the same form but usually lacks a constant stream
donga
vsnullah
  • South African
9.9

A deep gully made by water after heavy rain

is similar but is usually dry except in the rainy season
chine
vsnullah
  • UK
9.6

A steep narrow valley or gully that leads down to the sea

is often inland and dry except during the rainy season

How Big

canyon
117 2.5
nullah
  • Indian
9.9
gully
27 4.7

Surface Forms

nullah singular
nullahs plural

Etymology

The word nullah comes from the Hindi and Urdu word nālā, which means 'water-channel' or 'drain'. So a nullah is like a natural gully or drain that is usually dry but fills with water during the rainy season.