borehole

noun

bore·​hole ˈbȯr-ˌhōl How to pronounce borehole (audio)
Synonyms of boreholenext
: a hole bored or drilled in the earth: such as
a
: an exploratory well
b
chiefly British : a small-diameter well drilled especially to obtain water

Examples of borehole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
So the first project is to subsidize a borehole right by the school. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 11 June 2026 The flushing of a borehole doesn’t land well in a gala slideshow, but installing a new water system in a new community sure does. — Sarah Evans, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 Geothermal heat is basically free once the system is constructed, though digging the boreholes can be a considerable expense. — Ishan Thakore, NPR, 20 May 2026 Alongside the proof-of-concept program, the company is continuing work on a full-scale nuclear demonstration borehole and the design of its primary heat exchanger. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for borehole

Word History

First Known Use

1708, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of borehole was in 1708

Rhymes for borehole

See All Rhymes for borehole

Browse Nearby Words

boregat
borehole
borele
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Borehole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/borehole. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All