sinkhole

[singk-hohl]

noun

1. a hole formed in soluble rock by the action of water, serving to conduct surface water to an underground passage.

2. Also called sink. a depressed area in which waste or drainage collects.

sinkhole

/ ˈsɪŋkˌhəʊl /

noun

1. Also called (esp Brit): swallow hole. a depression in the ground surface, esp in limestone, where a surface stream disappears underground

2. a place into which foul matter runs

sinkhole

1. A natural depression in a land surface formed by the dissolution and collapse of a cavern roof. Sinkholes are roughly funnel-shaped and on the order of tens of meters in size. They generally occur in limestone regions and are connected to subteranean passages.

2. Also called sink

3. See more at karst topography

Word History and Origins

Origin of sinkhole¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; sink, hole

Example Sentences

Engineers working to repair a sinkhole which appeared in Godstone High Street in Surrey six months ago say the collapse started with a burst water main.

From BBC

Business owners in Surrey blighted by a massive sinkhole say they are fed up of people thinking their village is closed six months on.

From BBC

Researchers working with cave explorers uncovered the remnants of an auroch while surveying a number of caverns and sinkholes near Ingleborough.

From BBC

Grabbing a rope from their work site, they tossed it into the sinkhole to the female driver, who had by this time made her way out of the car.

From BBC

If a sinkhole opens up and swallows 10 cars, leaving traffic backed up for miles, people will just abandon their vehicles and walk five miles home.

From Salon