donga

A narrow donga cuts through the dry savanna landscape.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A steep-sided gully or ravine: "donga" refers to a narrow, deep channel or valley formed by water erosion, typically found in dry or semi-arid regions, especially in South Africa and Australia.
   • A natural drainage channel: In specific contexts, it denotes a watercourse that is usually dry but may carry water after heavy rains.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The hikers had to cross a wide donga to reach the other side of the plain. (A steep-sided gully that was difficult to traverse.)
  • After the storm, the donga was filled with rushing water for a few hours. (A natural drainage channel that temporarily carried water.)

Advanced Usage

• "to wash out a donga": to erode or deepen a gully through water flow.
  • The heavy rains washed out a new donga along the hillside. (Water erosion created a new steep-sided channel.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dongas (plural noun): multiple such gullies or ravines.
  • The landscape was scarred by many dongas from centuries of erosion. (Numerous deep channels cutting through the terrain.)

Synonyms

• Gully: a small, steep-sided valley or channel formed by water erosion.
• Ravine: a deep, narrow gorge with steep sides.
• Arroyo (especially in the American Southwest): a dry creek bed that fills with water after rain.

Related Idioms