a boxlike enclosure having wires, bars, or the like, for confining and displaying birds or animals.
anything that confines or imprisons; prison.
something resembling a cage in structure, as for a cashier or bank teller.
the car or enclosed platform of an elevator.
Mining. an enclosed platform for raising and lowering people and cars in a mine shaft.
any skeleton framework.
Baseball. a movable backstop for use mainly in batting practice.
a frame with a net attached to it, forming the goal in ice hockey and field hockey.
Basketball: Older Use. the basket.
a loose, sheer or lacy overdress worn with a slip or a close-fitting dress.
Ordnance. a steel framework for supporting guns.
Machinery. retainer.
to put or confine in or as if in a cage.
Sports. to shoot (as a puck) into a cage so as to score a goal.
an enclosure, usually made with bars or wire, for keeping birds, monkeys, mice, etc
( as modifier )
cagebird
a thing or place that confines or imprisons
something resembling a cage in function or structure
the rib cage
the enclosed platform of a lift, esp as used in a mine
engineering a skeleton ring device that ensures that the correct amount of space is maintained between the individual rollers or balls in a rolling bearing
informal the basket used in basketball
informal the goal in ice hockey
a steel framework on which guns are supported
informal to upset or anger someone
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin cavea “birdcage,” equivalent to cav(us) “hollow” + -ea, feminine of -eus adjective suffix
A cage is a structure that keeps an animal captive. If you decide to raise a tiger in your bedroom, it's best to have a sturdy cage. Cage is equally at home as a noun or verb. For instance, a batting cage is fun, but a free bird does not desire you to cage it. A cage of an elevator is great to ride to the 30th floor, but not so great if you’re riding it down into the mines and it breaks 40 feet below the earth.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The temporary arena that has been under construction is slated to feature an octagonal cage for the fights at its center, and it’s expected to fit about 4,000 guests.
From MarketWatch • May 29, 2026
It’s not the circus-like cage arena currently being built on the South Lawn for an upcoming UFC event.
From Salon • May 29, 2026
She acknowledged that the race and the cage fights are happening on national park land and under the banner of Freedom 250, but said neither is receiving funds or logistical support from her organization.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
In the Yellow Sea, China deployed a new salmon harvesting cage into waters shared with South Korea in 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
Clare scaled the tree to meet her, carefully stretching from bough to bough, then ducking into the leafy cage where she was riding out the storm.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
