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

caveman, cavendish, cavendish experiment, caveola, caver, cavern, caverna, cavernicolous, caverniloquy, cavernitis, cavernostomy

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

Science definitions for cavern

cavern

[ kăv′ərn ]

A large cave.