Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A sandy tract or dune by the seashore.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun a sand dune by the seashore
  • noun UK a valley, especially the deep valley of a stream or rivulet

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Possibly East Frisian düne, a sand dune; akin to dune.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Perhaps related to Middle Low German düne ("dune")

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English, from Old English denu

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Examples

  • The Oakeydean Burn gathers water from the moorland above, creating a Northumbrian dene, a narrow, wooded cleft snaking down the hillside.

    Country diary: Allendale, Northumberland 2011

  • As is now customary this week, the prince tried a few words in the native language - dene, this time, not French: "Maihsi-cho, kay-ya-muck-puck," which roughly translated apparently means thank you very much.

    William and Kate presented with diamonds in Yellowknife 2011

  • The Oakeydean Burn gathers water from the moorland above, creating a Northumbrian dene, a narrow, wooded cleft snaking down the hillside.

    Country diary: Allendale, Northumberland 2011

  • I twitched the fingers of my left hand, remembering kave peta cato yane ixa, six seven eight nine ten; and then the right hand, nea avo eta setra dene, one two three four five.

    Wildfire Sarah Micklem 2009

  • I twitched the fingers of my left hand, remembering kave peta cato yane ixa, six seven eight nine ten; and then the right hand, nea avo eta setra dene, one two three four five.

    Wildfire Sarah Micklem 2009

  • I twitched the fingers of my left hand, remembering kave peta cato yane ixa, six seven eight nine ten; and then the right hand, nea avo eta setra dene, one two three four five.

    Wildfire Sarah Micklem 2009

  • All we know today is that her ashes were buried in the watery dene that now bears her name, and a pink thorn tree is supposed to blossom each spring over her grave.

    Archive 2008-05-01 Christopher 2008

  • All we know today is that her ashes were buried in the watery dene that now bears her name, and a pink thorn tree is supposed to blossom each spring over her grave.

    Putting The Hex Into Hexham Christopher 2008

  • Hahahaa I do love it here though and I love our park and especially the dene!!

    the-moo Diary Entry the-moo 2006

  • Squire Hanger — for the best part of his land followed to him from his father — and had rum and water with him, and spoke his health, and tucked Mrs. Hanger up into the shay, and rode alongside to guarantee them; and then the next day, on the very same horse, up he comes at Hanger-dene, and overhauls every tub on the premises, with a parchment as big as a malt-shovel!

    Springhaven Richard Doddridge 2004

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  • A dun dune adorns a beach scene

    While inland the valley is green.

    The one’s made of sand

    The other, rich land,

    Yet somehow they both are called dene.

    October 15, 2018