wadi

noun wa·di \ ˈwä-dē \

|Updated on: 30 Jun 2018

Definition of wadi

1 : the bed or valley of a stream in regions of southwestern Asia and northern Africa that is usually dry except during the rainy season and that often forms an oasis : gully, wash

2 : a shallow usually sharply defined depression in a desert region

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Recent Examples of wadi from the Web

One geologist, Ernie Berg, noticed that a wadi, or ancient riverbed, took a mysterious turn.

— stanley reed, New York Times, "An Oil Giant Is Taking Big Steps. Saudi Arabia Can’t Afford for It to Slip.," 16 June 2018
In northern Jordan, along a wadi once called the Golden River, the ancient city of Jerash sits uneasily alongside its modern namesake.

— kiona n. smith, Ars Technica, "Decades of aerial photos reveal how an ancient desert city got its water," 30 May 2018
Hayonim Cave in Western Galilee, Israel, overlooks the right bank of a large wadi a few miles from the Mediterranean shore.

— kiona n. smith, Ars Technica, "Early Middle-Eastern culture had a thing for gazelle scapula," 1 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wadi.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.