karst

noun

ˈkärst 

: an irregular limestone region with sinkholes, underground streams, and caverns

karstic

ˈkär-stik 

adjective

Examples of karst in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Halong Bay, Vietnam A UNESCO World Heritage site, Halong Bay is a truly singular location famed for its aquamarine waters peppered with dramatic limestone karsts and caves awaiting exploration. —Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025

The Neanderthal in the karst: First dating, morphometric, and paleogenetic data on the fossil skeleton from Altamura (Italy) National Library of Medicine. —Anna Nordseth, Discover Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025

Lan Ha Bay is Cát Bà Island’s crown jewel, where imposing limestone karsts bursting out of jade-green water craft an otherworldly landscape. —Alexandra Gillespie, Outside Online, 16 Dec. 2024

Their 13 acres on Fitzhugh’s winding road has eight karst features in the form of natural springs, which could be contaminated by runoff from the amphitheater, making their well water dangerous. —Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American-Statesman, 30 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

German, from Slovene dialect or Croatian dialect kras, kars, type of rock, region composed of such rock

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Geographical Definition

Karst

geographical name

ˈkärst 

variants or Kras

ˈkräs 

or Italian Carso

ˈkär-(ˌ)sō 

limestone plateau northeast of the Istrian Peninsula in western Slovenia extending into eastern Italy