noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A deep natural well or sinkhole, especially in Mexico and Central America, formed by the collapse of surface limestone that exposes groundwater underneath, and sometimes used by the ancient Mayans for sacrificial offerings.

Synonyms

All synonyms

sinkhole

Etymology

From Spanish cenote, from Yucatec Maya tsʼonoʼot (“hole with water”).

Related phrases

central americaground water

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.