Grough

/ɡrɒf/ noun

Definition

A dialectal British term for a small stream or watercourse, sometimes used interchangeably with 'rough' or 'gruff' in regional speech.

Etymology

From Middle English or Old English origins, possibly related to 'rough' or 'groff,' with connections to words meaning stream or channel in Celtic or Anglo-Saxon languages.

Kelly Says

British place names are full of these water-related words—'grough' appears in old maps and documents, and studying these dialectal terms reveals how thoroughly different regions of England had their own vocabulary for the landscape.

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