subsidence — the gradual caving in or sinking of an area of land, especially due to underground excavation or mining
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: the gradual caving in or sinking of an area of land, especially due to underground excavation or mining
Pronunciation (IPA): /səbˈsaɪdəns/
Example Sentences
- My neighbor's garden suddenly disappeared overnight due to subsidence - now he has a free swimming pool!
- The government office receives hundreds of subsidence claims every year from homeowners near old coal mines.
- Engineers use special sensors to monitor subsidence before it becomes a disaster.
subsidence
NOUN[/səbˈsaɪdəns/]
the gradual caving in or sinking of an area of land, especially due to underground excavation or mining
The old harbor street shows clear subsidence, tilting shops toward the sea each year.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Subsidence derives from Latin subsidere, where sub- means "downward" and sidere means "to settle or sink." The term originally described the act of sinking down or settling, evolving to denote the geological phenomenon of land subsiding or sinking below its original level.
Breakdown
sub- (downward) + sidere (to sink, settle) + -ence (noun suffix indicating a state or condition)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My neighbor's garden suddenly disappeared overnight due to subsidence - now he has a free swimming pool!”
“The government office receives hundreds of subsidence claims every year from homeowners near old coal mines.”
“Engineers use special sensors to monitor subsidence before it becomes a disaster.”
“He joked that his house's subsidence was just 'extra basement space' he never asked for.”
📚Related Words
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