also: かめあな
noun
pothole; giant's kettle
A geological term for a cylindrical hole formed in bedrock by the abrasive action of stones and water currents, often found in riverbeds.
この川の上流には大きな甌穴がいくつもある。
There are several large potholes in the upper reaches of this river.
甌穴は長い年月をかけて水流と小石によっ
Potholes are formed over many years by water currents and pebbles.
Kana spelling reflecting the reading かめあな, sometimes used in explanatory contexts.
A loanword from English 'pothole', often used in a broader sense including road surface holes, while 甌穴 is strictly a geological term.
The kanji 甌 means 'small jar' or 'pot', and 穴 means 'hole', together describing a pot-shaped hole. The reading おうけつ is the on'yomi, while かめあな is a kun'yomi-based reading.