troughs

A trough is a long, narrow receptacle or depression. The term is used in several contexts to describe either a container for liquids and feed or a natural or engineered low-lying stretch that channels water, sediment, or people.

In agriculture and animal husbandry, a trough refers to a trough-shaped container used to hold water or feed for livestock. Troughs are commonly made of concrete or metal, and may be designed with a smooth interior, a sloped bottom to aid drainage, and taps or outlets for controlled access and cleaning. They are placed along animal pens, barns, or pasture boundaries and are sized to accommodate the animals served.

In geology and geography, a trough is a long, narrow depression in the landscape. It can be a structural trough formed by subsidence or faulting, or a topographic trough shaped by erosion and sediment deposition. Some troughs act as drainage channels within mountains or basins.

In economics and business, the term trough denotes the lowest point in a business cycle, the end of a recession, after which economic activity begins to rise again.