sinkhole

American  

[singk-hohl] / ˈsɪŋkˌhoʊl /

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.

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sinkhole British  

/ 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

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sinkhole Scientific  

/ sĭngk′hōl′ /

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

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Etymology

Origin of sinkhole

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

Example Sentences

The sinkhole was believed to have been caused by a ruptured sewage pipe.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

Bundy and the mayor led a driving tour of the shattered coastline, stopping at one property where the destruction of a home revealed a sea wall below with a pre-existing sinkhole.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

Initially thought to be caused by a sinkhole, engineers later said the embankment in Whitchurch had collapsed, causing water to flood out.

From BBC • Dec. 23, 2025

In August, heavy rains caused a drainage pipe to collapse on Route 38 in Burlington County, resulting in a sinkhole.

From Slate • Oct. 17, 2025

And when the core at last burns itself out, will some of the Earth slump into the void, leaving a giant sinkhole on the surface?

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson