dalles
/dælz/
Etymology
From the French dalle.
dalles means the rapids in a deep, narrow stream confined between the rock walls of a canyon or gorge. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 84 out of 100.
dalles is pronounced /dælz/.
Why “dalles” is a great word
DALLES — [Noun] A steep, narrow section of a river canyon where swift rapids are violently compressed between sheer rock walls. From Canadian French *dalles*, plural of French dialectal (Normandy) *dalle* ("gutter, sink, slab"), likely from a Germanic source (compare Old English *dæl*, "dale, valley"). First attested in English 1825–35 in the North American context. Unlike "rapids," a general term for turbulent water, or "gorge," which names the overarching cleft, a dalles is the specific, punishing constriction where the two become one. It is the river forced into a stone vise, white water roaring in a sunless slot, and the hydraulic scream echoing off polished basalt—a place where geography becomes pure, unforgiving force.
noun
- The rapids in a deep, narrow stream confined between the rock walls of a canyon or gorge.
- A steep-sided part of a stream channel, near the dalles proper, marked by clefts, ravines, or gorges.