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

The EU says a primitive form of feta is mentioned in the Odyssey, when the hero of the ancient epic takes cheese from the cave of the cyclops Polyphemus.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

There is only one other known case of burrowing bees nesting inside a cave, and none where bees used pre-existing fossil structures without altering them.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

The intricate patterns and iconic brick walls that once defined the kitchen have fallen into disrepair - plaster peeling from cracked walls and sections of the floor beginning to cave in.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

The presence of the older ash layer also indicates that this site is the oldest known cave in the North Island.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

He hated edging through the crack – it reminded him of the cave -but when he got to the other side, he gasped.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Related Words

• cavern
• grotto