swale

swale
/swayl/, n. Chiefly Northeastern U.S.
1. a low place in a tract of land, usually moister and often having ranker vegetation than the adjacent higher land.
2. a valleylike intersection of two slopes in a piece of land.
[1400-50; late ME; orig. a cool, shady spot, perh. < ON svalr cool, or svalir a covered porch]

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      borough (district), administrative and historic county of Kent, southeastern England, on the south side of the Thames estuary at its mouth. Swale borough includes the Isle of Sheppey (Sheppey, Isle of), 9 miles (14 km) long and 4 miles (6 km) wide, to the north. The island is separated from the mainland (south) by The Swale, a branch of the River Medway estuary, which gives its name to the district. Land on either side of The Swale is marshland, with both salt marsh and freshwater aquatic vegetation, that extends the length of the district. Population centres on the Isle of Sheppey are concentrated on a range of low cliffs along the northern coast bordering the Thames estuary. The estuarine marshland of the mainland ascends southward into a highly fertile cultivated zone that borders on the chalk uplands of the North Downs. Agricultural produce grown there includes hops, apples, and cherries.

      The heavy-industrialized ports of Queenborough-in-Sheppey and Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey have deepwater harbours. Container facilities opened at Sheerness in 1972, and the town has regular ferry service to Vlissingen (Flushing), Neth.

      Sittingbourne, the district seat on the mainland, is the site of an agricultural-research complex (founded in 1940). The former medieval port of Faversham east of Sittingbourne has a restored pre-19th-century street and has expanded its contemporary port facilities. Trade in timber, fertilizers, and petroleum products passes through the port. The British historian George Finlay (Finlay, George) (1799–1875) was born in Faversham. Area 144 square miles (374 square km). Pop. (2001) 122,801.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Swale — is a local government district in Kent, England. Its council is based in Sittingbourne. The borough is named after the narrow channel called The Swale, a channel that separates the mainland of Kent from the Isle of Sheppey, and which occupies the …   Wikipedia

  • Swale — Distrito del Reino Unido Ubicación en el condado de Kent …   Wikipedia Español

  • Swale — Swale, n. [Cf. Icel. svalr cool, svala to cool.] A valley or low place; a tract of low, and usually wet, land; a moor; a fen. [Prov. Eng. & Local, U.S.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Swale — Swale, v. i. & t. To melt and waste away; to singe. See {Sweal}, v. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Swale — Swale, n. A gutter in a candle. [Prov. Eng.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • swale — low, hollow place, often boggy, 1580s, special use of Scottish swaill low, hollow place, or dialectal East Anglian swale shady place (mid 15c.); both probably from O.N. svalr cool, from P.Gmc. *swalaz …   Etymology dictionary

  • swale — swale·dale; swale; …   English syllables

  • Swale — Swale, Nebenfluß der Ouse in der Grafschaft York (England); die Gegend an ihm heißt Swaledale …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Swale — (spr. ßwehl), engl. Fluß, s. Ouse …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • swale — [swāl] n. [ME, shade, prob. < ON svalr, cool, akin to OE swelan, to burn, ignite < IE base * swel > SWELTER] 1. a hollow, depression, or low area of land ☆ 2. such a place in a wet, marshy area …   English World dictionary

  • Swale — Borough of Swale Lage in Kent Status Borough Region South East England Verw.grafschaft Kent Verwaltungssi …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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