# coulee

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkuːli/ · frequency rank #62,802

## Definitions
1. A stream, especially one in the western US or Canada, generally smaller than a bayou; it may (or may not) run dry in summer, may be sluggish, shallow, and wide (forming in effect a pond or slough), or may have cut a deep gulch or ravine.
2. A reach of water in a bayou that is like a slough but deeper.
3. A lava flow (whether molten or solidified).

## Etymology
From French coulée (“flow”), from couler (“to flow”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/coulee