# karst

> English word · Noun · IPA /kɑːst/ · frequency rank #51,797

## Definitions
1. A type of land formation, usually with many caves formed through the dissolving of limestone by underground drainage.

## Etymology
Borrowed from German Karst. The German term and the Slovene placename Kras (the Karst Plateau) are from Proto-Slavic *korsъ, from Italo-Dalmatian carsus (cf. Italian carso), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ker- (“hard; rock”). More at Karst.
The metathesis in the Slovene term precludes German borrowing from Slovene.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/karst