noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ˈsɪŋkˌhoʊl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S IH1 NG K HH OW2 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A hole formed in soluble rock by the action of water, serving to conduct surface water to an underground passage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
A depressed area in which waste or drainage collects.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A hole in the playfield that rewards the player when the ball is guided into it.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: pinball
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A domain name server that has been configured to hand out non-routeable addresses for all domains, so that every computer that uses it will fail to get access to the real website.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Internet
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
An attack which redirects requests, whether network or memory accesses, to a new location defined by the attacker.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: computer security
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To configure as a sinkhole (domain name server that gives non-routeable addresses).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Internet, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
a depression in the ground communicating with a subterranean passage (especially in limestone) and formed by solution or by collapse of a cavern roof
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: sink, swallow hole
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: natural depression, depression
History
Etymology
From Middle English sinkehole, sinkeholl, equivalent to sink + hole.
Across languages
Translations
100 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
بَالُوعَة
(bālūʕa)
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Arabic:
بَلَّاعَة
(ballāʕa)
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Arabic:
بَلُّوعَة
(ballūʕa)
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Catalan:
dolina
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Catalan:
bòfia
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Cebuano:
bung-aw
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Chinese Mandarin:
天坑
(tiānkēng)
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Chinese Mandarin:
沉洞
(chéndòng)
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Chinese Mandarin:
落水洞
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Chinese Mandarin:
溶蝕漏斗 /溶蚀漏斗
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Dutch:
zinkgat
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Esperanto:
dolino
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Finnish:
karstivajoama
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Finnish:
vajoama
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Finnish:
doliini
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Finnish:
suppa
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Finnish:
sortumakaivo
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
French:
doline
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
French:
gouffre
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
German:
Doline
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
German:
Senkloch
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
German:
Sinkloch
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
German:
Erdfall
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
German:
Schwinde
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
German:
Flussschwinde
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
German:
Schwalgloch
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
German:
Schluckloch
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Greek:
καταβοθρα
(katavothra)
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Hebrew:
בולען
(bol'án)
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Irish:
súmaire
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Irish:
poll slogaide
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Irish:
slogaide
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Irish:
cíocra
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Italian:
dolina
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Italian:
pulo
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Japanese:
シンクホール
(shinkuhōru)
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Korean:
싱크홀
(singkeuhol)
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Korean:
땅꺼짐
(ttangkkeojim)
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Korean:
돌리네
(dolline)
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Macedonian:
по́нор
(pónor)
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Macedonian:
вр́тача
(vŕtača)
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Māori:
tomo
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Norman:
dalot
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Norwegian Bokmål:
jordfallshull
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Norwegian Bokmål:
synkehull
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Polish:
lej krasowy
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Polish:
lejek krasowy
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Polish:
werteb krasowy
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Polish:
wertep krasowy
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Portuguese:
dolina
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Romanian:
dolină
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Russian:
ка́рстовая воро́нка
(kárstovaja vorónka)
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Russian:
дья́волова дыра́
(dʹjávolova dyrá)
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Serbo-Croatian:
vrtača
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Slovene:
kraška dolina
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Spanish:
torca
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Spanish:
dolina
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Spanish:
cenote
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Swedish:
slukhål
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Swedish:
sänka
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Thai:
หลุมยุบ
(lǔm-yúp)
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Turkish:
düden
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Turkish:
obruk
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Vietnamese:
hố sụt
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Welsh:
llyncdwll
— geology: hole formed in soluble rock
Arabic:
بَالُوعَة
(bālūʕa)
— depressed area in which water collects
Arabic:
بَلَّاعَة
(ballāʕa)
— depressed area in which water collects
Catalan:
desguàs
— depressed area in which water collects
Catalan:
eixidiu
— depressed area in which water collects
Catalan:
desaigüe
— depressed area in which water collects
Chinese Mandarin:
污水池
(wūshuǐchí)
— depressed area in which water collects
Chinese Mandarin:
排水窪地 /排水洼地
(páishuǐ wādì)
— depressed area in which water collects
Finnish:
vajoama
— depressed area in which water collects
Finnish:
kuoppa
— depressed area in which water collects
Galician:
broque
— depressed area in which water collects
Galician:
fochanca
— depressed area in which water collects
Galician:
loio
— depressed area in which water collects
Galician:
groba
— depressed area in which water collects
Galician:
fanigoto
— depressed area in which water collects
German:
Senkloch
— depressed area in which water collects
German:
Sinkloch
— depressed area in which water collects
German:
Ablauf
— depressed area in which water collects
German:
Abfluss
— depressed area in which water collects
Japanese:
シンクホール
(shinkuhōru)
— depressed area in which water collects
Māori:
whāwhārua
— depressed area in which water collects
Polish:
zapadlisko
— depressed area in which water collects
Russian:
выгребна́я я́ма
(vygrebnája jáma)
— depressed area in which water collects
Spanish:
desagüe
— depressed area in which water collects
Turkish:
düden
— depressed area in which water collects
Chinese Mandarin:
得分洞
— hole in the playfield
Chinese Mandarin:
獎勵洞 /奖励洞
— hole in the playfield
Finnish:
kolo
— hole in the playfield
Chinese Mandarin:
黑洞伺服器
— domain name server
Chinese Mandarin:
沉洞DNS
— domain name server
Finnish:
turhia osoitteita antava nimipalvelin
— domain name server
Chinese Mandarin:
重定向攻擊 /重定向攻击
— attack
Chinese Mandarin:
劫持攻擊 /劫持攻击
— attack
Finnish:
liikenteen uudelleen ohjaava hyökkäys
— attack
Chinese Mandarin:
設置沉洞 /设置沉洞
(shèzhì chéndòng)
— configure as a sinkhole
Finnish:
määrittää antamaan turhia osoitteita
— configure as a sinkhole
