groundwater

American  

[ground-waw-ter, -woter] / ˈgraʊndˌwɔ tər, -ˌwɒtər /

Also ground water

noun

1. the water beneath the surface of the ground, consisting largely of surface water that has seeped down: the source of water in springs and wells.

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groundwater Scientific  

/ ground′wô′tər /

1. Water that collects or flows beneath the Earth's surface, filling the porous spaces in soil, sediment, and rocks. Groundwater originates from rain and from melting snow and ice and is the source of water for aquifers, springs, and wells. The upper surface of groundwater is the water table.

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groundwater Cultural  

1. Water that seeps through the soil or rocks underground.

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Discover More

Groundwater can be contaminated by chemical pollutants. (See water pollution.)

Groundwater is a source of drinking and spring water for many communities.

Etymology

Origin of groundwater

First recorded in 1885–90; ground ¹ ( def. ) + water ( def. )

Example Sentences

"The widespread and significant flooding this week was driven by swollen rivers, rising groundwater and exceptional rainfall - not a lack of routine highway drain maintenance," he said.

From BBC

"When rivers and groundwater rise that quickly, the pipes beneath road drains become completely full, so even a clear drain simply has nowhere to send the water - especially when outfalls are also over capacity."

From BBC

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

Land subsidence linked to groundwater overpumping, the report says, is occurring across more than 2.3 million square miles, nearly 5% of the global land area.

From Los Angeles Times

For years, the water table has been dropping beneath thousands of acres of desert farmland in western Arizona, where a Saudi-owned dairy company has been allowed to pump unlimited amounts of groundwater to grow hay for its cows.

From Los Angeles Times