Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

estavelle

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: es-tavelle
IPA

12

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A hole that may function as an ephemeral spring or a sinkhole, depending on hydrological conditions.

Example Sentences

"The water pressure within the earth can force a swallow hole to become a spring and vice versa. These reversible sinks, which geologists call by the French geologic term estavelle, change their direction of flow (swallow or discharge) based on fluctuations in the water table."
"Depending upon the position of the groundwater level and hydrological conditions on the surface, an estavelle can function at one time as an intermittent spring and at another as a ponor (swallowhole)."
"Furthermore, the filling and emptying should occur via an estavelle, or ephemeral spring, and there should be no surface water inlet or outlet."

Etymology

From French estavelle, which is in turn from l'Estavelle, a spring in Hérault. The place name may come from Occitan estable (“stable”) or estervel (“whirlpool”), though this is uncertain.

Origin

Source language: French

Word Breakdown

Root: estavelle

Inflected Forms

estavelles (plural)

Phrases

swallow hole

Frequently Paired Words

karst ponor swallow hole

Questions

What does estavelle mean?: A hole that may function as an ephemeral spring or a sinkhole, depending on hydrological conditions.
Where does estavelle come from?: It is traced to French.

How to pronounce estavelle

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