karst

See also: Karst

English

WOTD – 18 January 2010

Etymology

Borrowed from German Karst. The German term most likely derives from the Slovene placename Kras (the Karst Plateau), although some scholars dispute this.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) enPR: käst, IPA(key): /kɑːst/
  • (US) enPR: kärst, IPA(key): /kɑɹst/
  • Rhymes: -ɑː(r)st
    Homophones: cast, caste (in non-rhotic accents)

Noun

karst (plural karsts)

  1. (geology) A type of land formation, usually with many caves formed through the dissolving of limestone by underground drainage.
    • 1978, M. M. Sweeting, “The Karst of Kweilin, Southern China,” The Geographical Journal, vol. 144, no. 2, p. 200:
      In the time available to us on our geomorphological tour we were not able to see the higher and younger karsts of Kweichow and Yunnan and Kunming.
    • 2009, Katherine Harmon, “Top 10 New Species Discovered in 2008,” ScientificAmerican.com, May 29, 2009:
      The shells are just 0.04 inch (one millimeter) long and were found on a karst formation where conditions are damp, but the snails that inhabit them have yet to be observed.

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Anagrams

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kaʁst/

Noun

karst m (plural karsts)

  1. (geology) karst

Further reading

Icelandic

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kʰar̥st/
  • Rhymes: -ar̥st

Noun

karst n (genitive singular karsts, no plural)

  1. (geology) karst

Declension

Spanish

Alternative forms

Noun

karst m (plural karstes)

  1. (geology) karst

Synonyms

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