A dell is a small valley, usually with trees growing in it. Picture a gentle dip in the ground between rolling hills, where the land curves down just enough to create a cozy hollow. Unlike a deep canyon or dramatic gorge, a dell is more like a soft fold in the landscape, often sheltered and peaceful.

You might find a dell in the countryside or even in a large park, where a stream winds through trees at the bottom of a shallow valley. In stories and poems, dells often appear as quiet, secluded spots where characters go to think or explore. The word has an old-fashioned, storybook quality to it: you're more likely to read about someone wandering through a dell in a classic tale than to hear your friend say they found one on their hike (though they might have, even if they called it something else).

If you've ever walked through the woods and found yourself in a small, cup-shaped area surrounded by trees, you've been in a dell, whether you knew to call it that or not.