cave
Americannoun
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caves
plural
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a hollow in the earth, especially one opening more or less horizontally into a hill, mountain, etc.
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a storage cellar, especially for wine.
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English History. a secession, or a group of seceders, from a political party on some special question.
verb (used with object)
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caves,
present (3rd person singular)
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caved,
past participle, past
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caving
present participle
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to hollow out.
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Mining.
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to cause (overlying material) to fall into a stope, sublevel, or the like.
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to cause (supports, as stulls or sets) to collapse beneath overlying material.
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to fill (a stope or the like) with caved-in material.
sub-level caving.
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verb (used without object)
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caves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
caved,
past participle, past
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caving
present participle
verb phrase
noun
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an underground hollow with access from the ground surface or from the sea, often found in limestone areas and on rocky coastlines
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history a secession or a group seceding from a political party on some issue See Adullamite
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(modifier) living in caves
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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cavesimple
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cavessimple
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have cavedperfect
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has cavedperfect
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am cavingprogressive
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are cavingprogressive
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is cavingprogressive
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have been cavingperfect progressive
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has been cavingperfect progressive
Past
-
cavedsimple
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had cavedperfect
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was cavingprogressive
-
were cavingprogressive
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had been cavingperfect progressive
Future
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"The land above the cave… slid after the heavy rain that lasted throughout the night," Dagnachew Azbite, a senior local official, told the BBC.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Moving deeper, they are suddenly surrounded by dead sea creatures forced into the cave by the storm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
A plot turn involving an underground realm that’s accessible by a local cave recalls the supernatural aspects of Mr. Mason’s 2023 novel, “North Woods.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
That possibility offers a more layered picture of prehistoric cave art.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
He grabbed Handsome’s present, which he also spruced up by tying a bright yellow ribbon around it, and left his cave.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Bones preserved in dry caves displayed a different set of changes.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
The analysis showed that underwater caves can preserve skeletal remains exceptionally well.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
Later, merchants and government officials sponsored larger and more elaborately decorated caves to curry karmic favor on their journeys, as well as to promote their particular religious and aesthetic visions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
In some caves where enlightened paradise is depicted, it’s utopic: singers and dancers prancing in revelry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Plus, there were caves down there, and they could use one to stay warm in.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
Visitors may have noticed that Odorysseus’ spadix — the conic protrusion emerging upward from the plant — was much taller than Odora’s, which had caved in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
After fretting and weighing the pros and cons, I eventually caved and decided to start mine young.
From Slate ● Jun. 20, 2026
May and June were exceedingly dry, the main water pump conked out regularly, the roof of the ladies’ room caved in and the pro shop needed more scorecards, which are surprisingly expensive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
Khan told the Commons on Wednesday that the force had "never caved into community pressure" and described calls for Guildford to be sacked as a "witch hunt".
From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2026
There was a shattering of wood as the box caved in.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
History suggests they will hesitate before eventually caving to his will.
From Salon ● Jan. 3, 2026
While I’d like to push back more, I know myself, and will end up caving and buying a new dress.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 8, 2025
You couldn’t be caught caving to an advertiser.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025
"I started caving when I was just 13 years old and I'm 71 years old now," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2025
Ivy tried to force a lot of bite into her bark, but really, she felt like her chest was caving in.
From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
