COMBE, or COOMB  , a term particularly in use in south-western England for a short closed-in valley, either on the side of a down or running up from the sea . It appears in place-names as a termination, e.g . Wiveliscombe, Ilfracombe, and as a prefix, e.g . Combemartin . The etymology of the word is obscure, but " hollow " seems a common meaning to similar forms in many languages . In English "combe " or " cumb " is an obsolete word for a " hollow vessel," and the like meaning attached to Teutonic forms kumm and kumme . The Welsh cwm, in place-names, means hollow or valley, with which may be compared cum in many Scots place-names . The Greek K()µ(317 also means a hollow vessel, and there is a French dialect word combe meaning a little valley .