posthole

English

Etymology

post +‎ hole

Noun

posthole (plural postholes)

1. (archaeology) A cut feature used to hold a surface timber or stone, usually much deeper than it is wide.
   • 2007 January 31, John Noble Wilford, “Village May Have Housed Builders of Stonehenge”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     Indentations in the floor were interpreted as postholes and slots that once anchored wooden furniture.

Verb

posthole (third-person singular simple present postholes, present participle postholing, simple past and past participle postholed)

1. To sink one's legs deep into snow while walking.
   • 2002, Dana Stabenow, A Fine and Bitter Snow, →ISBN, page 1:

     There, Kate dismounted, postholed through the snow to the door of the Park Service's headquarters, marched down the hall to Dan O'Brian's office, walked in without knocking, sat down without invitation, and said, "Now then. Would you mind repeating to me exactly what you told Ethan Int-Hout this morning?"

   • 2012, Carol Stone White, Peak Experiences, →ISBN:

     Diane and I held our breaths. Good, she was still upright. She slowly moved her weight forward, and picked up her back foot. We exhaled, and she promptly postholed.

   • 2016, Meghan M. Hicks, Bryon Powell, Where the Road Ends: A Guide to Trail Running, →ISBN:

     The chances of postholing can be minimized by landing with your whole foot at once as well as by wearing shoes with larger outsole surface area to increase flotation marginally.

Anagrams

• pot holes, pot-holes, potholes