aquifer

American  

[ak-wuh-fer] / ˈæk wə fər /

noun

aquifers plural

1. any geological formation containing or conducting groundwater, especially one that supplies the water for wells, springs, etc.

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aquifer British  

/ ˈækwɪfə /

noun

1. a porous deposit of rock, such as a sandstone, containing water that can be used to supply wells

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aquifer Scientific  

/ ăk′wə-fər /

1. An underground layer of permeable rock, sediment (usually sand or gravel), or soil that yields water. The pore spaces in aquifers are filled with water and are interconnected, so that water flows through them. Sandstones, unconsolidated gravels, and porous limestones make the best aquifers. They can range from a few square kilometers to thousands of square kilometers in size.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• aquifers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of aquifer

First recorded in 1900–05; probably from French aquifère (adjective); see aqui-, -fer

Explanation

An aquifer is an underground water supply — one found in porous rock, sand, gravel, or the like. Your town might get its water from a lake, river, reservoir, aquifer, or some other source. Aquifer is from the Latin aqua ("water") and ferre ("to bear") — an aquifer literally bears water. Some aquifers are massive, such as the Ogallala Aquifer in the United States that stretches across parts of eight states from South Dakota to Texas. But not massive enough — we're draining them faster than the water can be replenished.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aquifer aquifers

Law enforcement is stretched, the multitude of wells is draining the aquifer and some residents’ low wages result in reliance on social services, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Residents feared the project would strain the electrical grid and drain their local aquifer.

From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026

In Memphis, xAI had said it would build a water recycling plant that can reuse wastewater, instead of relying on the region’s aquifer, which provides drinking water for residents.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

Hobbs pointed out that some residents’ wells have gone dry as water levels have plummeted in the Ranegras Plain, and that the land has been sinking as the aquifer is depleted.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2026

“Where does all the water come from? The Court is on a hill, so where’s the aquifer or aqueduct to bring the water up?”

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Furthermore, the centers’ cooling systems need a lot of water, draining local aquifers and water tables, with the more efficient systems still requiring significant amounts.

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026

Low lying river valleys and areas on chalk aquifers - such as the Salisbury Plains - are most prone to groundwater flooding.

From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026

“There’s a climate change use case—you can track the depletion of aquifers, which can predict when droughts are going to happen,” the CEO continued.

From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026

Excessive pumping of groundwater has led to long-term declines in about 70% of the world’s major aquifers, and in many areas these declines are causing the land to sink.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 21, 2026

Which of the two aquifers, their thickness being equal, will have the larger outcrop and therefore be able to draw upon the larger amount of water from the rainfall?

From The Elements of Geology by Norton, William Harmon

Related Words

• water level