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🚧 Digging to find pipes 🕳️ Cave exploring
potholing

potholing

5.8
Exploring caves for fun, often as a hobby
  • noun
  • /ˈpəʊθhəʊlɪŋ/
  • Jargon
translation icon : espeleología
  • I love potholing during the summer months.

Examples

  • Proper equipment is essential for safe potholing in deep and narrow caves.

  • Many adventure seekers enjoy potholing to discover underground rivers and rock formations.

  • They spent the weekend potholing in the Yorkshire Dales.

  • Have you ever tried potholing in the Yorkshire Dales?

  • Many adventurers enjoy potholing to explore the hidden beauty of underground caves.

  • After joining the club, I discovered that potholing can be both thrilling and educational.

  • During our vacation, we spent hours potholing in the magnificent limestone caves.

Synonyms

caving
vspotholing
4 3.5

An activity of exploring caves for fun or adventure

is more about sport or hobby emphasis than broad adventure
spelunking
vspotholing
  • US
2 7.9

An activity of exploring caves for fun and adventure

is more about sport or hobby emphasis than broad adventure

Surface Forms

potholing singular
potholings plural

Morphology

potholing = pothole (semi-transparent) = pothole + ing

The formation 'pothole' + '-ing' clearly signals an activity related to potholes, but the specific hobby meaning 'caving' is a specialised extension that may not be obvious to all learners.

Etymology

Potholing comes from pothole, an old word for a 'deep hole' or pit in the ground that you can climb into, so potholing means exploring caves and deep underground holes.