the bottoms
Low ground along a river or creek — good dirt, flood risk.
Also called bottom land, bottomland, river bottoms.
Updated September 24, 2026
the bottoms pronunciation
/thuh BAH-dumz/
Meaning
Rural Southern and Appalachian name for bottomland: the flat, rich ground down by the water. Farmers plant there because the soil is black and deep. Houses and barns down in the bottoms also catch the June tide when the creek rises. Shorthand for bottom land, river bottoms, or that whole stretch of low fields folks point to from the ridge.
How folks use it
- “Their farm's down in the bottoms by the river.”
- “Corn does real good in the bottoms if the water don't take it.”
Origin and etymology
From bottom land, American English for alluvial ground along a river (river-bottom is recorded by the mid-1700s). Tennessee land terms call a bottom the lowest land next to a river: fertile but subject to floods. Locals shortened everyday talk to the bottoms.
Frequently asked questions
Is the bottoms the same as a holler?
No. A holler is a little valley between hills. The bottoms are the flat low ground along a creek or river.