water hole

American  

noun

1. a depression in the surface of the ground, containing water.

2. a source of drinking water, as a spring or well in the desert.

3. a pond; pool.

4. a cavity containing water in the dry bed of a river.

5. a hole in the frozen surface of a lake, pond, stream, etc.

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water hole British  

noun

1. a depression, such as a pond or pool, containing water, esp one used by animals as a drinking place

2. a source of drinking water in a desert

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Etymology

Origin of water hole

First recorded in 1645–55

Example Sentences

Panting after chasing the impala now in its jaws, a leopard drags its prey to a shady spot beside a water hole.

From New York Times • Oct. 5, 2023

They'll go down to a water hole, they'll see a turtle or a tortoise close to the water, and they won't step on it.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2023

The danger led them to reduce farming activities and access to a water hole that had been used for cattle, a crucial part of the livelihoods of many South Sudanese.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 4, 2022

A second water hole, from the 1820s, was also discovered during excavations at the town's 19th Century infirmary.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2021

The water hole was now almost as large as the holes he had dug back at Camp Green Lake.

From "Holes" by Louis Sachar