cave

[keyv]

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.

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

/ 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

verb

1. (tr) to hollow out

cave

²

/ ˈkeɪvɪ /

noun

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

1. watch out!

cave

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.

Other Word Forms

• cavelike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cave¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cave¹

C13: from Old French, from Latin cava, plural of cavum cavity, from cavus hollow

Origin of cave²

from Latin cavē! beware!

Example Sentences

Some officials said the two-storey building caved in because its foundation was unstable.

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At one point, team members constructed a dam using plastic sheeting to carry rising flood water past the cave entrance.

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"I strongly implore Democrats to stand firm and not cave to the continued assault on healthcare and affordability for everyday Americans," they said.

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But he’s also been known to cave in to pushback, as bullies often do.

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A Russian woman who made global headlines after being found living in a cave in India with her two young daughters has flown back to her country, an official told the BBC.

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Related Words

• cavern 
• grotto