Earth:Dell (landform)

Short description: Small secluded hollow

Dell in the Little Carpathians with a dry stream channel

In physical geography, a dell is a grassy hollow—or dried stream bed—often partially covered in trees. In literature, dells have pastoral connotations, frequently imagined as secluded and pleasant safe havens.

The word "dell" comes from the Old English word dell, which is related to the Old English word dæl, modern 'dale'. Dells in literature. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with dingle, although this specifically refers to deep ravines or hollows that are embowered with trees. The terms have also been combined to form examples of tautological placenames in Dingle Dell, Kent, and Dingle Dell Reserve, Auckland.

In popular culture

• "The Farmer in the Dell" – an American folk song brought to United States by German immigrants.
• Dewey Dell – a fictional character in William Faulkner's novel As I Lay Dying who travels to a nearby town in hopes of obtaining an abortion.

See also

• Earth:Cirque – An amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion
• Earth:Coulee – Type of valley or drainage zone
• Earth:Glen – Name for valley commonly used in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man
• Earth:U-shaped valley, also known as glaciated valley – Valleys formed by glacial scouring
• Earth:Gully – Landform created by running water and/or mass movement eroding sharply into soil
• Earth:Canyon, also known as Gorge – Deep chasm between cliffs
• Earth:Valley – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it