Circular holes or depressions in a road surface caused by wear or subsidence. Also refers to deep circular holes in rock formed by water erosion.
Compound of 'pot' (from Old English pott, referring to the round shape) and 'hole.' Originally described geological formations where swirling water carved round depressions in rock, later applied to similar road damage from the 16th century.
Potholes got their name because early observers thought the round holes in riverbeds looked like giant pots embedded in the rock. The geological and road meanings share the same formation process - repetitive circular motion wearing away material, whether from swirling water or spinning tires.
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