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

He lost his water in 2001 when the blasting dropped the water table.

From The Daily Beast

The leaching may carry radionuclides elsewhere, however, possibly causing mild contamination of the water table.

From Project Gutenberg

Cellars were not practical in the low-lying areas, for in wet weather the water-table is level with the ground.

From Project Gutenberg

If it is sand and gravel with a high water table (the level of subterranean water), an excellent well can be had cheaply.

From Project Gutenberg

The surface of this underground sheet of water is technically called "water table" or ground-water level.

From Project Gutenberg

Centrifugal pumps usually are set in dry wells a few feet above the water-table.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• aquifer
• water level