well point
1
7.7
- noun
- Specialized
- After setting up the well point, they monitored the water levels closely to ensure proper drainage.
Examples
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They decided to use a well point to access clean water from the sandy soil while building the new house.
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The construction team installed a well point to effectively remove water from the excavation site.
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The well point is driven into the ground by pounding or is washed in using high water pressure.
Academic text (2008)
Synonyms
1
5.5
A hole that lets extra rain or water on the ground flow into the earth
1
4.8
A deep hole with a long metal pipe that brings water up from underground
1
8.4
A hole made by driving a pipe into the ground to reach water
1
9.9
A pipe with small holes driven into the ground to collect underground water for pumping or draining
Surface Forms
Morphology
The constituents 'well' (a water shaft) and 'point' (a small tip/part) cue that the phrase refers to a small device associated with a well, so learners can infer a general relation to water-well equipment. However, the precise technical sense — a perforated tube installed for dewatering — is specialized and not reliably derivable from the parts alone, so a B1 learner would likely not grasp the full meaning without prior exposure.
Etymology
Well point comes from the image of making a tiny well with a sharp point. A narrow tube with small holes is pushed into the ground to make a little 'point' that draws water from the soil, so the name now means the tube used to take water away from a site.