pothole

[ pot-hohl ]

/ ˈpɒtˌhoʊl /

a deep hole; pit.

a hole formed in pavement, as by excessive use or by extremes of weather.

a more or less cylindrical hole formed in rock by the grinding action of the detrital material in eddying water.

a cave opening vertically from the ground surface.

Origin of pothole

First recorded in 1820–30; pot¹ + hole

Keep in mind, the U.S. can barely keep its government open, fix a pothole, or move a train 45 miles in an hour in this country.

Tesla Looks Like a Bubble, Will It Pop? |Daniel Gross |March 1, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
A gentleman named Lee Daly from Dublin, Ireland asked Booker for help with a pothole in front of his house.

When Politicians Tweet One-Liners |Ben Jacobs |February 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
March 17, 2005 – 7:21 p.m. Type: 911 Subject: Maintenance Report: Pothole “that is blocking the road” 4.

George Zimmerman’s History of 911 Calls: A Complete Log |Matthew DeLuca |March 22, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
When Baker took office, it took 2½ years to fill a pothole in St. Petersburg.

America's Greatest Mayor? |John Avlon |May 10, 2011 |DAILY BEAST

The carriage slumped into a pothole, and a spring seemed to snap.

When the Owl Cries |Paul Bartlett
They were moving around the base of a small knoll when Larkwell's foot struck a pothole in the ash and he stumbled.

First on the Moon |Jeff Sutton

pothole

/ (ˈpɒtˌhəʊl) /

geography

a deep hole in limestone areas resulting from action by running waterSee also sinkhole (def. 1)
a circular hole in the bed of a river produced by abrasion

a deep hole, esp one produced in a road surface by wear or weathering