Coomb
[koom]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Old English, eighth century
1.
A short valley or hollow on a hillside or coastline.
Examples of Coomb in a sentence
"Though the cliffs surrounding the village were rocky, a small coomb provided space to grow crops."
"The backpackers discovered a coomb between the hills that was far easier to hike through than steep slopes."
About Coomb
“Coomb” is based on the Old English “cumb,” meaning “a vessel,” and the Scots “coom,” meaning “tub” or “cistern.”
Did you Know?
“Coomb” is among the oldest words in the English language, dating back to the 700s. Describing either a short valley along a hillside or coastline, or a deep, narrow valley bordered by steep hills, “coomb” is closely related to the variant “combe,” a common British place name. (From Addiscombe to Yarnscombe, there are more than 100 places in England with “combe” in their name.) “Coomb” is related to the Old English “cumb,” meaning “vessel,” the Scots “coom” and “cumb,” meaning “tub,” and the German “Kumpf,” meaning “bowl.” In all cases, the words point toward a basin shape, whether located in a landscape or in the kitchen.
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