sinkage

[ sing-kij ]

noun

1. the act, process, amount, or degree of sinking.
2. a surface sunk for decorative effect.
3. Printing.
   1. the lowering of the first line of body text on a page from its usual position, as at the beginning of a chapter.
   2. the amount of such lowering.

sinkage

/ ˈsɪŋkɪdʒ /

noun

1. rare.
   the act of sinking or degree to which something sinks or has sunk

Word History and Origins

Origin of sinkage¹

First recorded in 1880–85; sink + -age

Example Sentences

The bowl is the region of deep sinkage in the land, with Corcoran at the center — a sinkhole at a snail’s pace.

From New York Times

State lawmakers responded by passing a law aimed at stopping water-related land sinkage.

From New York Times

But how Corcoran came to dip nearly 12 feet in more than a decade is a tale not of land but of water, and the ways in which, in ag-dominated Central California, water is power — so much so that many residents and local leaders downplay the town’s sinkage or ignore it entirely.

From New York Times

Others in the area say it is impossible to blame any one water user for Corcoran’s complicated and long-running history of sinkage.

From New York Times

The lawsuit said four streets were built on top of mine waste rock, causing “extreme sinkage” to home foundations, cracked walls and clogged sewer lines due to shifting soil.

From Washington Times

Related Words

• bowl
• lagoon
• pan
• pool
• pot
• tub
• valley
• watershed