water table

or water·table

noun

1. the planar, underground surface beneath which earth materials, as soil or rock, are saturated with water.
2. Architecture. a projecting stringcourse or similar structural member placed so as to divert rainwater from a building.

water table

noun

1. the surface of the water-saturated part of the ground, usually following approximately the contours of the overlying land surface
2. an offset or string course that has a moulding designed to throw rainwater clear of the wall below

water table

1. The upper surface of an area filled with groundwater, separating the zone of aeration (the subsurface region of soil and rocks in which the pores are filled with air and usually some water) from the zone of saturation (the subsurface region in which the pores are filled only with water). Water tables rise and fall with seasonal moisture, water absorption by vegetation, and the withdrawal of groundwater from wells, among other factors. The water table is not flat but has peaks and valleys that generally conform to the overlying land surface.
2. Compare potentiometric surface

water table

1. The depth (measured from the surface of the Earth ) at which underground water is first encountered.

Word History and Origins

Origin of water table¹

A late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

It also requires consents from the Environment Agency "for water management, excavation below the water table and similar things".

From BBC

The flames worsened when the water table dropped, which in turn exposed flammable carbon-rich soil.

From Salon

Trees with access to shallow water tables "greened up" during drought, the researchers found, while trees over deeper water tables experienced more foliage browning and tree death.

From Science Daily

If the subsurface magma level fell below the water table, scientists reasoned, groundwater flowing in from above it could spark a steam-driven eruption.

From Science Magazine

The new technique will map the top of the aquifer, called the "water table," spanning areas as large as hundreds of kilometers using a radar mounted on a high-altitude aircraft.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• aquifer
• water level