well (noun)

a deep hole or shaft dug or drilled to obtain water or oil or gas or brine

well (noun)

a cavity or vessel used to contain liquid

well, wellspring, fountainhead (noun)

an abundant source

"she was a well of information"

well (noun)

an open shaft through the floors of a building (as for a stairway)

well (adj)

an enclosed compartment in a ship or plane for holding something as e.g. fish or a plane's landing gear or for protecting something as e.g. a ship's pumps

well (adj)

in good health especially after having suffered illness or injury

"appears to be entirely well"; "the wound is nearly well"; "a well man"; "I think I'm well; at least I feel well"

good, well(p) (adj)

resulting favorably

"it's a good thing that I wasn't there"; "it is good that you stayed"; "it is well that no one saw you"; "all's well that ends well"

well(p) (verb)

wise or advantageous and hence advisable

"it would be well to start early"

well, swell (adverb)

come up, as of a liquid

"Tears well in her eyes"; "the currents well up"

well, good (adverb)

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (`good' is a nonstandard dialectal variant for `well')

"the children behaved well"; "a task well done"; "the party went well"; "he slept well"; "a well-argued thesis"; "a well-seasoned dish"; "a well-planned party"; "the baby can walk pretty good"

well (adverb)

thoroughly or completely; fully; often used as a combining form

"The problem is well understood"; "she was well informed"; "shake well before using"; "in order to avoid food poisoning be sure the meat is well cooked"; "well-done beef", "well-satisfied customers"; "well-educated"

well, easily (adverb)

indicating high probability; in all likelihood

"I might well do it"; "a mistake that could easily have ended in disaster"; "you may well need your umbrella"; "he could equally well be trying to deceive us"

well (adverb)

(used for emphasis or as an intensifier) entirely or fully

"a book well worth reading"; "was well aware of the difficulties ahead"; "suspected only too well what might be going on"

well (adverb)

to a suitable or appropriate extent or degree

"the project was well underway"; "the fetus has well developed organs"; "his father was well pleased with his grades"

well (adverb)

favorably; with approval

"their neighbors spoke well of them"; "he thought well of the book"

well, considerably, substantially (adverb)

to a great extent or degree

"I'm afraid the film was well over budget"; "painting the room white made it seem considerably (or substantially) larger"; "the house has fallen considerably in value"; "the price went up substantially"

well, intimately (adverb)

with great or especially intimate knowledge

"we knew them well"

well (adverb)

with prudence or propriety

"You would do well to say nothing more"; "could not well refuse"

well (adverb)

with skill or in a pleasing manner

"she dances well"; "he writes well"

well, advantageously (adverb)

in a manner affording benefit or advantage

"she married well"; "The children were settled advantageously in Seattle"

well, comfortably (adverb)

in financial comfort

"They live well"; "she has been able to live comfortably since her husband died"

well (adverb)

without unusual distress or resentment; with good humor

"took the joke well"; "took the tragic news well"

well (Contraction)

we will

well (Contraction)

we shall

Well

A well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, or drilling to access liquid resources, usually water. The oldest and most common kind of well is a water well, to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn up by a pump, or using containers, such as buckets, that are raised mechanically or by hand. Water can also be injected back into the aquifer through the well. Wells were first constructed at least eight thousand years ago and historically vary in construction from a simple scoop in the sediment of a dry watercourse to the qanats of Iran, and the stepwells and sakiehs of India. Placing a lining in the well shaft helps create stability, and linings of wood or wickerwork date back at least as far as the Iron Age. Wells have traditionally been sunk by hand digging, as is the case in rural areas of the developing world. These wells are inexpensive and low-tech as they use mostly manual labour, and the structure can be lined with brick or stone as the excavation proceeds. A more modern method called caissoning uses pre-cast reinforced concrete well rings that are lowered into the hole. Driven wells can be created in unconsolidated material with a well hole structure, which consists of a hardened drive point and a screen of perforated pipe, after which a pump is installed to collect the water. Deeper wells can be excavated by hand drilling methods or machine drilling, using a bit in a borehole. Drilled wells are usually cased with a factory-made pipe composed of steel or plastic. Drilled wells can access water at much greater depths than dug wells. Two broad classes of well are shallow or unconfined wells completed within the uppermost saturated aquifer at that location, and deep or confined wells, sunk through an impermeable stratum into an aquifer beneath. A collector well can be constructed adjacent to a freshwater lake or stream with water percolating through the intervening material. The site of a well can be selected by a hydrogeologist, or groundwater surveyor. Water may be pumped or hand drawn. Impurities from the surface can easily reach shallow sources and contamination of the supply by pathogens or chemical contaminants needs to be avoided. Well water typically contains more minerals in solution than surface water and may require treatment before being potable. Soil salination can occur as the water table falls and the surrounding soil begins to dry out. Another environmental problem is the potential for methane to seep into the water.