cavern
Americannoun
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a cave, especially one that is large and mostly underground.
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Pathology. a cavity that is produced by disease, especially one produced in the lungs by tuberculosis.
verb (used with object)
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to enclose in or as if in a cavern.
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to hollow out to form a cavern.
noun
verb
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to shut in or as if in a cavern
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to hollow out
Etymology
Origin of cavern
1325–75; Middle English caverne < Latin caverna, equivalent to cav ( us ) hollow + -erna, as in cisterna cistern
Explanation
A cavern is a large cave or a large chamber in a cave. Or, if your bedroom is very dark, your mother might want you to open the blinds and let some light into that cavern. The word cavern is a late Middle English word that comes from the Latin root cavus, meaning “hollow.” Cavern typically describes a cave, but it can refer to any large enclosed space, especially a space that's dark like a cave. You might sit in a vast cavern when you go to the opera. Cavern can also be used figuratively — you could explore the dark cavern of your mind.
Vocabulary lists containing cavern
Physical Geography - Introductory
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Geological Features
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Physical Geography - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Located at the base of a 100-foot water drainage pipe, the sprawling secret cavern also contained a home gym, armchair and television.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026
Over the next two years, starting in January, a team will excavate the cavern by removing rock and soil.
From BBC • Dec. 25, 2024
As we make our way into the vast cavern, my guide explains how Eberhard dissected samples and sent them to England for analysis.
From Salon • Aug. 23, 2024
Arching over the emerald basin are walls of stalactites dripping down the cavern ceiling, which opens to a dense jungle.
From Seattle Times • May 30, 2024
She couldn’t even see the cavern roof—just blood-colored clouds floating in the hazy gray air.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
