artesian well

American  

noun

1. a well in which water rises under pressure from a permeable stratum overlaid by impermeable rock.

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artesian well British  

/ ɑːˈtiːzɪən, -ʒən /

noun

1. a well sunk through impermeable strata into strata receiving water from an area at a higher altitude than that of the well, so that there is sufficient pressure to force water to flow upwards

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artesian well Scientific  

/ är-tē′zhən /

1. A deep well that passes through impermeable rock or sediment and reaches water that is held under pressure in a confined aquifer. In aquifers of this type, the water in the lower regions is trapped between two layers of impermeable rock and cannot rise to the level of the water table in the upper, unconfined regions. When a well penetrates the confined region, the pressure forces the water to rise within the well until it reaches the elevation of the water table in the unconfined region (a level known as the potentiometric surface).

2. ◆ In a flowing artesian well the water is under enough pressure to rise all the way to the surface without being pumped and must be capped to control the flow.

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Etymology

Origin of artesian well

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

One relic from this era is the Beverly Hot Springs, an artesian well once used by Native Americans that was rediscovered in 1910 when Richard S. Grant purchased the land as a wheat field.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2025

What is clear, in each case, is that the tears are coming from an extremely deep place, like the purest artesian well water.

From New York Times • Jun. 2, 2023

The deep pit, dug by the landowner to be an artesian well, had been left uncovered after it failed to strike groundwater, Phop Phra district chief Sanya Phetset told Thairath TV on Tuesday.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 7, 2023

In 1908, the Southwestern Immigration and Development Company published a brochure advertising 3,000 lots for sale in a town of paved roads, tree-lined streets and handsome buildings, supplied with water from an artesian well.

From Salon • Oct. 9, 2021

I tapped an artesian well of good feeling and made a small speech in my pidgin type of French.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck