Rigole

Rigole is a term used in French and in engineering to denote a shallow channel or trench designed to convey water. In English, rigole is borrowed primarily in technical contexts and is not common in general usage. The features of a rigole include a shallow depth and a channel that may be lined or unlined to control flow, often with a mild slope to promote drainage.

In civil engineering and road design, a rigole is a drainage ditch along the edge of a road or within a construction site to collect surface runoff and direct it toward a culvert or natural outlet. It may be open or covered with a grate, depending on function and climate. In agriculture, rigoles (drainage rigoles) are shallow ditches dug in fields to lower water tables and improve soil conditions; they can be part of a broader drainage network with laterals and additional ditches.

In hydrological and environmental contexts, rigoles can form part of stormwater management systems, guiding runoff during heavy rain events and helping prevent erosion on slopes. The term is most commonly encountered in French-language sources or in technical writings that describe French or European drainage practices.

Etymology and usage notes: the word originates from the French rigole, meaning a gutter, channel, or drain. In English-language texts, rigole is typically used as a direct loanword to name specific drainage features described in French sources, rather than as a general English synonym for ditch or channel.

See also: gutter, ditch, drain, channel, furrow.