cavern

[ kav-ern ]

/ ˈkæv ərn /

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See 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.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of cavern

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

Words nearby cavern

Cavell, cave man, cavendish, Cavendish experiment, caver, cavern, cavernicolous, cavernous, cavesson, cavetto, cave tubing

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cavern in a sentence

According to the article’s authors, the US Geological Survey should be charged with scanning the country for underground caverns where large amounts of hydrogen could be stored.
Scientists Just Laid Out a Game Plan for Building a Clean Hydrogen Economy|Edd Gent|August 16, 2021|Singularity Hub
It’s easy to become disoriented exploring the game’s numerous underwater caverns.
‘Subnautica: Below Zero’: Hold your breath and dive in|Christopher Byrd|June 11, 2021|Washington Post
As these rocks dissolved, caves and caverns were carved out over an enormous length of time — measured not by the tick-tock of clocks but by the drip-drip of water — forming the Shenandoah Valley caverns we visit today.
How Earth’s tumultuous history gave the Mid-Atlantic its beloved destinations|Walter Nicklin|June 4, 2021|Washington Post
Professional caving means entering a world more dangerous than any well-trod tourist cavern.
Going caving? Bring these essentials underground with you.|Rob Verger|December 21, 2020|Popular-Science

The presence of charcoal suggested fire, and the presence of fire deep in an icy cavern suggested human activity.
Ancient people may have survived desert droughts by melting ice in lava tubes|Rachel Fritts|December 8, 2020|Science News
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
Mr. Cunningham's description of the drawings of the natives in a cavern on Clack's Island.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
It was something which announced itself; a chill breath that seemed to issue from some vast cavern wherein discords waited.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
I have written at least a dozen about this cavern, and I've described it without even forgetting a single sprig of moss.
Honey-Bee|Anatole France
But at some distance from the cavern he dropped his pipe, and on stooping to pick it up he picked up instead a little satin shoe.
Honey-Bee|Anatole France
Lake Luna was a-glare from the mainland to Cavern Island, and the freight boats had given over running until the spring break-up.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage|Gertrude W. Morrison

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

Scientific definitions for cavern

cavern

[ kăv′ərn ]

A large cave.

cavern

Origin of cavern

Words nearby cavern

Words related to cavern

How to use cavern in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cavern

Word Origin for cavern

Scientific definitions for cavern