An elongated depression between hills or mountains, often with a river flowing through it.
"After hiking up the steep slopes, we finally descended into the lush valley where a gentle river wound through the green fields."
In plain English: A valley is a low area of land between hills or mountains, usually with a river running through it.
"We went hiking to see the beautiful valley below the mountains."
Usage: Use valley to describe the low area situated between two higher landforms like hills or mountains. This term specifically refers to natural depressions that may contain rivers, distinguishing them from man-made ditches or general lowlands.
The San Fernando Valley in southern California.
"After a long day of hiking, we decided to drive home through the San Fernando Valley to catch the evening traffic before it got too bad."
The word "valley" entered English through Middle English and Old French forms derived from the Latin vallis. It originally referred to a low area between hills or mountains, eventually replacing older native terms like "dene" and "dale."