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

Examples of karst in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Among the hundreds of caves hidden in the limestone karsts of Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, a work of art faded into a rock wall could be of global importance. Frances Vinall, Washington Post, 3 July 2024 Railay West Beach, Thailand On the Railay peninsula's west side, Krabi's famous karsts meet a simply stunning jade-green lagoon. Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2023 The curving beach is punctuated by towering creviced karsts — the limestone formations that have made Railay a world-class destination for rock-climbing — and the emerald lagoon is a paradise for kayaking and paddle boarding. Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 27 Mar. 2023 State and county regulators said the dredging drastically altered the nature of the stream and damaged a karst feature. Taima Kern, Journal Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2023 See all Example Sentences for karst 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'karst.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of karst was in 1902

Dictionary Entries Near karst

Cite this Entry

“Karst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/karst. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Geographical Definition

Karst

geographical name

variants or Kras or Italian Carso
limestone plateau northeast of the Istrian Peninsula in western Slovenia extending into eastern Italy

More from Merriam-Webster on karst

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!