Skip to main content
well water

well water

6 2.8
Water that comes from underground through a deep hole
  • noun
  • /wɛl ˈwɔtər/
translation icon : agua de pozo
  • Why is it important to make sure that well water tests are conducted on a regular basis?
  • arsenic in well water
  • contaminated well water
  • well water contamination

Examples

  • So until spring, when the gardens and fields would need water, people would get by on well water.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Everyone thought the water was safe, you know, that's well water, it'll have a little color, a little odor, but you know, will not harm you.

  • What about your well water?

  • How about a nice drink of fresh well water?

  • Nothing like cool, fresh well water.

  • Didn't your doctor tell you not to drink the well water?

  • We have very hard well water, but we also have a water softener.

    Blog text (18)
  • The boy returned with a bucket of well water and an empty burlap sack.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Everyone needs B12 injections unless they still drink well water and grow their own vegetables.

    Blog text (30)
  • The villagers often gathered at the well to fetch fresh well water for their daily needs.

Synonyms

groundwater
vswell water
  • Specialized
31 3.4

Water that lies under the surface in soil and rocks

is removed by digging or drilling instead of emerging naturally
spring water
vswell water
9 1.0

Water that comes from under the ground and is safe to drink

is taken up by digging or drilling rather than flowing out naturally
ground water
vswell water
2.8

Water under the ground that fills spaces in soil and rock

is taken up by digging or drilling rather than just being underground

How Clean

bottled water
38 1.0
tap water
27 1.0
rainwater
22 1.0
well water
6 2.8

Surface Forms

well water singular
well waters plural

Morphology

well + water

The meaning 'water obtained from a well' is directly derivable from combining 'well' (a shaft or excavation for water) with 'water' (the potable liquid). This is a straightforward noun–noun composition found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Well water comes from the simple image of a well, a deep hole in the ground, and the water you draw up with a bucket. People would pull water 'from a well', so well water means water taken 'from the ground' rather than 'from the tap'.