water table

American  

Or watertable

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.

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water table British  

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

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water table Scientific  

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

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water table Cultural  

1. The depth (measured from the surface of the Earth) at which underground water is first encountered.

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Etymology

Origin of water table

A late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

"The estimated yield of the event was a 10 tonne nuclear explosion, or five tonnes conventional equivalent, which assumes the explosion was fully coupled in hard rock below the water table," he said.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

Raising the water table makes the soil wetter and reduces oxygen around plant roots.

From Science Daily • Feb. 22, 2026

The Fed has said the cost overruns are due to part to unforeseen conditions like more asbestos than anticipated and a higher-than-expected water table.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 11, 2026

The pond dried up in the 1970s after two wells were drilled as part of an expansion of the nearby fish hatchery at Fish Springs, and as pumping lowered the water table, Williams said.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 18, 2025

Moistening the clay was easy—capillary action will draw up water from the floodplain, which has a high water table.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Related Words

• aquifer
• water level