ravine

plural ravines

1. A deep narrow valley or gorge in the earth's surface worn by running water.

   He fell into a reverie, a most dangerous state of mind for a chauffeur, since a fall into reverie on the part of a driver may mean a fall into a ravine on the part of the machine.

   1913, Robert Barr, chapter 3, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad

   2 more examples

   Sometimes the earth stretched up towards them with peaks of mountains, sometimes it fell away in steep ravines, blue rivers sang to them as they passed above them, or very faintly came the song of breezes in lone orchards, and far away the sea sang mighty dirges of old forsaken isles.

   1905, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], The Gods of Pegāna, London: [Charles] Elkin Mathews, […], →OCLC, page 46

   Thirty feet below her, where the Persians were crashing through the brush, the streambed kinked to the left side of the ravine and ran under an enormous thorn tree with a thick base.

   2007 April 1, Thomas Harlan, The Shadow of Ararat: Book One of 'The Oath of Empire', page 294

plural ravines

1. alternativearchaicAlternative spelling of ravin.

   And sure since we were borne, / Ruine of one ravine, was there none gretter: […]

   1546, John Heywood, chapter IX, in Julian Sharman, editor, The Proverbs of John Heywood. […], London: George Bell and Sons, […], published 1874, →OCLC, part II, page 158

   5 more examples

   [H]e [Odo of Bayeux] had […] by rauine and extortion, raked together greate maſſes of Golde and treaſure, whiche he cauſed to be grounde into fine pouder, and (filling therewith dyuers pottes and crockes) had ſounk them in the Bottomes of Riuers, intending therwithall to haue purchaſed the Papacie of Rome: […]

   1570 (date written), William Lambard[e], “Douer, […]”, in A Perambulation of Kent: Conteining the Description, Hystorie, and Customes of the Shyre. […], London: […] [Henrie Middleton] for Ralphe Newberie, […], published 1576, →OCLC, page 123

   [T]he rage and furie of the barbarous nations brake out into a flaming fire: and like as vvild beaſts, vvont to live of ravine and prey vvhen keepers be ſlacke and negligent, […] vvithout regard of life, run upon vvhole heards and flockes of cattell: […]

   1609, Ammianus Marcellinus, “[The XVI. Booke.] Chapter II. The Vertues of Iulianus, Beseeming a Magnanimous Prince, Ammianus Marcellinus Exactly Describeth.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Roman Historie, […], London: […] Adam Jslip, →OCLC, page 57

   The marvellous ſpeedy grovvth of Birds that are hatched in Neſts, and fed by the Old ones there, […] ſeems to me an Argument of Providence deſigning thereby their preſervation, that they might not lie long in a condition expoſed to the ravine of any Vermine that may find them, being utterly unable to eſcape or ſhift for themſelves.

   1691, John Ray, “Of Bodies Endued with a Sensitive Soul, or Animals”, in The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation. […], London: […] Samuel Smith, […], →OCLC, page 110

   [W]ith hot Ravine fir'd, enſanguined Man / Is novv become the Lyon of the Plain, / And vvorſe.

   1728, [James] Thomson, Spring. A Poem, […] A[ndrew] Millar, […]; and G[eorge] Strahan, […], →OCLC, page 21

   Tho' Nature, red in tooth and claw / With ravine, shriek'd against his creed— […]

   1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto LV”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 80

comparative more ravine · superlative most ravine

1. obsoleteObsolete spelling of ravin.

   […] I am the cauſe / His death vvas ſo effected: Better 'tvvere / I met the rauine Lyon vvhen he roar'd / VVith ſharpe conſtraint of hunger: better 'tvvere, / That all the miſeries vvhich nature ovves / VVere mine at once.

   c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 242, column 1

present singular third person ravines · participle present ravining · participle past ravined · past ravined

1. alternativearchaicAlternative spelling of ravin.

   [I]t is his [Satan's] Maſtery to ſpread an unſeen venome in the Bovvels, thence to diffuſe its ſelf through't, mix vvith the vital ſpirit, and convert that kindly heat vvhich ſhould animate, into thoſe vvild irregular flames vvhich ravine and conſume.

   1667, attributed to Richard Allestree, “A Survey of the Mischiefs Arising from Disputes in General”, in The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety. […], London: […] R. Norton for T. Garthwait, […], →OCLC, page 247

   1 more example

   As God was able to ſaue the bodies of his ſeruantes, that they were not hurt in the fire, as he was able to keepe Ionas ſafe, in the whales bellie: ſo can he preſerue our bodies in the earth. Yea, much better, becauſe the fire naturally conſumeth, and the fiſhes bellie deſtroieth thoſe things which they rauine: but the earth naturally preſerueth that which is earthie.

   a. 1572 (date written), Iohn Iewel [i.e., John Jewel], “The First Epistle of S. Paule to the Thessalonians. Chap[ter] 4. [verses 13–14]”, in An Exposition vpon the Two Epistles of the Apostle S. Paul to the Thessalonians, […], London: […] Ralfe Newberie, published 1584, →OCLC, pages 166–167