16a A type of open valley, particularly in northern England. This pair of northerners are arguing over dale or vale - Yorkshire dales, Vale of Pickering. Any consensus please?
BUT in the spirit of muddying the waters further (!) this is the definition of vale from the complete Oxford Dictionary"
"A more of less extensive tract of land lying between two range of hills, or stretches of high ground, and usually traversed by a river or stream; a dale or valley, esp. one which is comparatively wide and flat."