noun
rill
RIL/rɪl/
A narrow stream of flowing water.
A clear rill flows between the rocks beside the trail.
Etymology
Low German rille covered both grooves or furrows and running streams. English rill is from or related to it, sharing the sense of a small watercourse or channel.
In context
Rainfall intensity, volume, slope, and soil type are among some of the factors that influence soil erosion and rill and gully formation.
More examples
- Melting snow feeds a rill that runs down the hillside.
- Several rills join to form a larger stream.
- We step across the shallow rill without getting wet.
Forms
rill · rills