Aquifer
/ˈæ.kwɪ.fər/noun
An underground layer of water-bearing rock or sediment that yields water to wells and springs.
Did you know?Aquifer comes straight from Latin roots meaning “water” + “to carry,” so the word itself describes the earth as something that bears water underground.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
aqua
“water”
Latin
Latin
-fer
“bearing, carrying”
Medieval Latin
Latin
aquifer
“water-bearing”
19th Century
English
aquifer
“a water-bearing stratum of rock or earth”
Modern English
English
aquifer
“an underground layer of water-bearing rock or sediment”