cave

American  

[keyv] / keɪv /

noun

1. a hollow in the earth, especially one opening more or less horizontally into a hill, mountain, etc.

2. a storage cellar, especially for wine.

3. English History.  a secession, or a group of seceders, from a political party on some special question.

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verb (used with object)

caved, caving

1. to hollow out.

2. Mining.

   1. to cause (overlying material) to fall into a stope, sublevel, or the like.

   2. to cause (supports, as stulls or sets) to collapse beneath overlying material.

   3. to fill (a stope or the like) with caved-in material.

      sub-level caving.

verb (used without object)

caved, caving

1. to cave in.

verb phrase

1. cave in

   1. to fall in; collapse.

   2. to cause to fall in or collapse.

   3. Informal.  to yield; submit; surrender.

      The opposition caved in before our superior arguments.

cave ¹ British  

/ keɪv /

noun

1. an underground hollow with access from the ground surface or from the sea, often found in limestone areas and on rocky coastlines

2. history a secession or a group seceding from a political party on some issue See Adullamite

3. (modifier) living in caves

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verb

1. (tr) to hollow out

cave ² British  

/ ˈkeɪvɪ /

noun

1. guard or lookout (esp in the phrase keep cave )

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1. watch out!

cave Scientific  

/ kāv /

1. A naturally occurring underground hollow or passage, especially one with an opening to the surface of the Earth. Caves can form through a variety of processes, including the dissolution of limestone by flowing water, the differential cooling of volcanic magma (which occurs when the outside surface of the lava cools, but the inside continues to flow downwards, forming a hollow tube), or the action of wind and waves along a rocky coast.

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Other Word Forms

• cavelike adjective

Etymology

Origin of cave

1175–1225; Middle English < Old French < Late Latin cava (feminine singular), Latin cava, neuter plural of cavum hole, noun use of neuter of cavus hollow

Example Sentences

As in, “Daddy is taking some ‘fathertime’ in his man cave.”

From The Wall Street Journal

In “Floyd Collins,” Jeremy Jordan met the challenge of bringing vital life to a character on the verge of losing his—a cave explorer trapped underground—in director Tina Landau’s restrained but deeply moving production.

From The Wall Street Journal

Like many Ukrainians, Melnychenko remains defiant—unwilling to cave to Russia at the negotiating table, even under U.S. pressure.

From The Wall Street Journal

“He’s crazy. Nothing would surprise me, but I don’t think he would enter in that cave.”

From Los Angeles Times

A few years ago, those boats were filled with tourists – many from China – drawn to Palau's lagoons and limestone caves.

From BBC

Related Words

• cavern
• grotto