English

Alternative forms

• vley, vly

Pronunciation

• (South Africa) IPA^(key): /fleɪ/, /fliː/

Noun

vlei ‎(plural vleis)

1. (South Africa) A shallow wetlands or minor lake, generally a seasonal one, or the lowland where such a wetlands appears seasonally.
   • 1861, Charles John Andersson, Lake Ngami, chapter XXV, page 301

     The country thereabout was a succession of vleys or gulleys, then filled with excellent clear water, teeming with water-fowl.

   • 2010, Jeremiah Allen, Namibia (Other Places Travel Guide), page 199

     Although rare, it takes an unearthly amount of rain to fill the Tsauchab River and penetrate the dune area, bringing water into the vlei. During these rare times, the vlei takes on a life of its own, much different than in the absence of water […]

Translations

Etymology 2

From dialectal Dutch vallei ‎(“valley”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /vli/, /fli/

Noun

vlei ‎(plural vleis)

1. (US) a wetland or marsh

Translations

Derived terms

• vlei rat

Anagrams

• evil, Levi, live, veil, vile

Dutch

Pronunciation

Verb

vlei

1. first-person singular present indicative of vleien
2. imperative of vleien

Anagrams

• veil, viel