cavern
[ kav-ern ]
/ ˈkæv ərn /
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.
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decorum
Origin of cavern
1325–75; Middle English caverne < Latin caverna, equivalent to cav(us) hollow + -erna, as in cisterna cistern
Words nearby cavern
caveman, cavendish, cavendish experiment, caveola, caver, cavern, caverna, cavernicolous, caverniloquy, cavernitis, cavernostomy
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for cavern
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
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Scientific definitions for cavern
cavern
[ kăv′ərn ]
A large cave.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.