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

Explanation

A cave is hollow space underground that's big enough for a person to walk or crawl into. People who explore caves often wear battery-powered headlamps. You might see a small cave in the side of a cliff as you hike up a mountain, or swim into an underwater cave when you go snorkeling. In either case, a cave is a deep, carved-out chamber that opens above ground — or in the water. People who regularly explore caves are called spelunkers, or cavers. The Latin root word is cavea, "hollow."

Example Sentences

Located in central Israel, Tinshemet Cave has produced an exceptional collection of archaeological and human remains.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

Lyrical saint Nick Cave was more caustic — notoriously so — when he shared how he felt about these boys of California’s endless summer.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

Households in the East Riding have blue bins for recycling bottles and there are glass recycling bins at Hotham Village Hall and near the church in North Cave.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

This was shortly before the group got stuck in the woods near Cave Mountain.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

He regarded himself as lucky not to have picked up Marburg or something else at Kitum Cave.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

Related Words

• cavern
• grotto