cavern

[ kav-ern ]

/ ˈkæv ərn /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR cavern ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a cave, especially one that is large and mostly underground.

Pathology. a cavity that is produced by disease, especially one produced in the lungs by tuberculosis.

verb (used with object)

to enclose in or as if in a cavern.

to hollow out to form a cavern.

RELATED WORDS

pothole, cave, grotto, hole, subterrane

Nearby words

Origin of cavern

1325–75; Middle English caverne < Latin caverna, equivalent to cav(us) hollow + -erna, as in cisterna cistern

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cavern

The Beatles Story Museum features a replica of the Cavern Club and a Fab 4D animated cinema show.
Catch Beatles Fever! Ten Essential Travel Destinations for Beatlemaniacs|Lonely Planet|January 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Next door to the museum is a clone of the Cavern Club, the Beatle Café and the Sala John Lennon stand-up comedy theatre.
Catch Beatles Fever! Ten Essential Travel Destinations for Beatlemaniacs|Lonely Planet|January 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her body was covered with a blanket when it was found inside a cavern of the ancient walls, obscuring it from view.
Istanbul Hunts for Sarai Sierra’s Killer|Mike Giglio|February 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I was informed now by the sense of sight, that we were in a cavern room of considerable size.
Etidorhpa or the End of Earth.|John Uri Lloyd

The cavity or chamber of this cavern is about 100 feet across in each direction.
Archeological Investigations|Gerard Fowke
As we got nearer we saw the entrance to a cavern, into which we pulled.
In the Eastern Seas|W.H.G. Kingston
I heard constant sounds of firing and the noisy shouts of the buccaneers as they trooped out of the cavern and down the hill.
Latitude 19 degree|Mrs. Schuyler Crowninshield
He felt along the roof of the cavern, and presently gave a grunt of satisfaction.
The Birthright|Joseph Hocking

British Dictionary definitions for cavern

cavern

/ (ˈkævən) /

noun

a cave, esp when large and formed by underground water, or a large chamber in a cave

verb (tr)

to shut in or as if in a cavern

to hollow out

Word Origin for cavern

C14: from Old French caverne, from Latin caverna, from cavus hollow; see cave 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for cavern

cavern

late 14c., from Old French caverne (12c.) "cave, vault, cellar," from Late Latin caverna "cave," from Latin cavus "hollow" (see cave (n.)). In Old English such a land feature might be called an eorðscræf.

Science definitions for cavern

cavern

[ kăv′ərn ]

A large cave.