pot·hole / ˈpätˌhōl/ • n. a deep natural underground cavity formed by the erosion of rock, esp. by the action of water. ∎  a deep circular hole in a riverbed formed by the erosion of the rock by the rotation of stones in an eddy. ∎  a depression or hollow in a road surface caused by wear or subsidence. ∎  (also pothole lake) a pond in a natural hollow in the ground.DERIVATIVES: pot·holed adj.

pot-hole An approximately hemispherical depression made in the bedrock of a river channel by stones or boulders that have been spun rapidly by eddies. Each stone is washed away only to be soon replaced by another, so the drilling action is powerful and ceaseless.