water hole
Americannoun
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a depression in the surface of the ground, containing water.
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a source of drinking water, as a spring or well in the desert.
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a pond; pool.
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a cavity containing water in the dry bed of a river.
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a hole in the frozen surface of a lake, pond, stream, etc.
noun
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a depression, such as a pond or pool, containing water, esp one used by animals as a drinking place
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a source of drinking water in a desert
Etymology
Origin of water hole
First recorded in 1645–55
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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 shyer creatures would go to the water hole early in the morning, drink a few sips of water, and then move away.
From "The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa" by Alexander Mccall Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
