SINKHOLE Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

sinkhole

[ singk-hohl ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a hole formed in soluble rock by the action of water, serving to conduct surface water to an underground passage.
Also called sink. a depressed area in which waste or drainage collects.

sinkhole

/ ˈ��ɪŋ��ˌ��əʊ�� /

noun

Also called (esp Brit)swallow hole a depression in the ground surface, esp in limestone, where a surface stream disappears underground
a place into which foul matter runs

sinkhole

/ ��ĭ�Բ��′��ō��′ /

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.
Also called sink
See more at karst topography

Discover More

�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of sinkhole¹

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

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Every resident affected by a sinkhole in Surrey is set to return home, a local authority has said.

From

But human activities such as excavation works can also accelerate the formation of sinkholes or cause the ground to collapse in a similar way.

From

A Glasgow street has been partially closed after road workers discovered a sinkhole.

From

Residents of a Surrey village where two large sinkholes have opened up have been told it could be up to a year before they are all able to return to their properties.

From

Repair teams are working "around the clock" at the site of two huge sinkholes which appeared in a Surrey road, the local council has said.

From

Browse