karst Meaning & Definition
What Does Karst Mean?
Karst is a noun that means A type of land formation, usually with many caves formed through the dissolving of limestone by underground drainage.
Karst in Brief
| Part of speech | noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /kɑːst/ |
| Plural | karsts |
Karst Definition (Noun)
- A type of land formation, usually with many caves formed through the dissolving of limestone by underground drainage.
Synonyms of Karst
The source does not list synonyms for this entry.
Karst synonyms and antonyms →Word Forms & Grammar
karst (plural karsts)
Words That Rhyme With Karst
Origin of Karst
Origin 1: Borrowed from German Karst. The German term and the Slovene placename Kras (the Karst Plateau) are from Proto-Slavic *korsъ, of unknown substrate origin, perhaps from an Italo-Dalmatian term reflecting ealier *carsus (cf. Italian carso) or from Illyrian. Compare Old Slovene Garst, Serbo-Croatian krš, kras, and Albanian karsti. Gams (2003) further links these to a dubious Proto-Indo-European root *kar- (“hard; rock”).[1] This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term. Particularly: “Other hypotheses needed; Etymonline implies a relation to Russian красный (krasnyj, “red (< beautiful, decorated)”) but this is highly doubtful.” More on Wikipedia. Doublet of Carso, Karst, and Kras.
Origin 2: The metathesis in the Slovene term precludes German borrowing from Slovene.