Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A valley, often coursed by a stream; a dale.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A tract of low ground between hills; a valley: little used except in poetry. See valley.
  • noun A little trough or canal: as, a pump-vale to carry off the water from a ship's pump.
  • noun See vail.
  • Farewell; adieu. Also used substantively.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A tract of low ground, or of land between hills; a valley.
  • noun See 2d vail, 3.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun valley
  • interjection farewell

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French val, from Latin vallēs; see wel- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English, from Old French val ("valley"), from Latin vallis, valles

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin valē, singular imperative of valeō ("be well").

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Examples

  • But if he is wise he will, as Milton also did, make it up again, and get the most that he can from his stony-hearted stepmother before the time comes for him to bid her his _Vale vale et aeternum vale_.

    Obiter Dicta Second Series Augustine Birrell 1891

  • "Now to return to the youth in the corner: _Nemo mortalium omnibus horis sapit_, Jemmy keep your money, or give it to the priest to keep, and it will be safest; but by no means let the Hyblean honey of the schoolmaster's blarney deprive you of it, otherwise it will be a _vale, vale, longum vale_ between you.

    The Poor Scholar Traits And Stories Of The Irish Peasantry, The Works of William Carleton, Volume Three William Carleton 1831

  • Among them were a dozen stoic fighters from the New York Underground Combat League, the rules of which are summarized by the phrase "vale tudo," Portuguese for "anything goes."

    NYT > Home Page By JED LIPINSKI 2011

  • Among them were a dozen stoic fighters from the New York Underground Combat League, the rules of which are summarized by the phrase "vale tudo," Portuguese for "anything goes."

    NYT > Home Page By JED LIPINSKI 2011

  • Among them were a dozen stoic fighters from the New York Underground Combat League, the rules of which are summarized by the phrase "vale tudo," Portuguese for "anything goes."

    NYT > Home Page By JED LIPINSKI 2011

  • To add to the confusion, the word "vale" is used to mean a dozen things in Spain, including good, ok, yes, etc.

    Vale 2006

  • The poet in Keats informs his being a prose writer of genius, as when he delights in the word vale (which appears in the opening line of Hyperion):

    Keats's Afterlife Ricks, Christopher 2009

  • Hola, quote. .vale comes from the word valorIt's not worth much, It's cheap, That stock is valueless, etc.

    Vale 2006

  • Of a gentle shepherd maiden, dwelling in Italian vale,

    The Poetical Works of Mrs. Leprohon

  • Ffrom Hungerford to Newbury in Barkshire 7 mile all very deep way, 15 mile thence to Reading in Barkshire flatt way, but ye vale is heavy sand for 3 or 4 mile.

    Through England on a Side Saddle in the Time of William and Mary 1888

Comments

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  • (verb) - To make obeisance; to bow. This verb has perhaps been formed as primarily denoting the obeisance made by servants when they expect a vale, a gratuity from visitors. Samuel Johnson derives this from avail, profit, or Latin vale, farewell. Perhaps from French veiller, to watch, studiously attend. --John Jamieson's Etymological Scottish Dictionary, 1808

    April 23, 2018