Definition

1. Noun:
   • A gully or streambed in arid regions: A wadi is a dry riverbed, ravine, or valley found in desert areas of North Africa and the Middle East that contains water only during the rainy season.

Usage

• The word "wadi" is used to describe a specific geographical feature in desert climates. It functions as a count noun.
• It is typically used in contexts related to geography, travel, and descriptions of arid landscapes.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The hikers followed the dry wadi through the canyon.
  • After the rare heavy rain, the wadi quickly filled with a fast-moving torrent of water.
  • Nomads often camp near a wadi, knowing it is a potential source of water.

Advanced Usage

• "to follow a wadi": to use a dry riverbed as a path or route through desert terrain.
  • The expedition planned to follow the main wadi to reach the oasis.
• "flash flood in a wadi": describes the sudden, dangerous flooding that can occur in these channels during rainstorms.
  • Travelers are warned of the risk of flash floods in a wadi during the monsoon season.

Variants and Related Words

• Arroyo (n): A similar dry gully, especially in the southwestern United States and Latin America.
• Wash (n): A dry streambed in the desert regions of North America.
• Nullah (n): A term used in India for a steep-sided gully or ravine, often dry.

Synonyms

• Ravine: A deep, narrow gorge.
• Gully: A water-worn ravine.
• Streambed: The channel in which a stream flows or used to flow.

Related Phrases

• Dry riverbed: A common descriptive phrase for a wadi.
• Intermittent stream: A technical term for a stream that flows only at certain times.

Related Idioms

Noun

1. gully or streambed in northern Africa and the Middle East that remains dry except during rainy season