borehole

From bore +‎ hole.

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borehole (plural boreholes)

1. A hole bored into the ground to collect samples for analysis or to extract oil or water.

   Near-synonym: well

   The state of the groundwater is monitored at various boreholes in the area.

   • 2020 May 6, Jim Steer, “Full Business Case offers fresh insight into HS2's prospects”, in Rail, page 51:

     Extensive borehole information and tendered contract prices make these cost estimates much more plausible than earlier estimates.

2. Any other hole that has been bored into something.

   Synonym: bore (in machinery parts)

   There were little boreholes in the oak beam, indicating that insects had once taken some interest in it.

borehole (third-person singular simple present boreholes, present participle boreholing, simple past and past participle boreholed)

1. (ambitransitive) To bore a hole of this kind (in).