caving

American

[key-ving] / ˈkeɪ vɪŋ /

noun

spelunking.

caving British

/ ˈkeɪvɪŋ /

noun

the sport of climbing in and exploring caves

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

caver

noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

cavings

plural

Etymology

Origin of caving

First recorded in 1865–70; cave ( def. ) + -ing ¹

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.

The roof can be caving in or they can be well-loved properties with absentee owners.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Iran wants the war to stop as quickly as possible but not at any price - ie not if it means caving in to all Washington's demands.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

History suggests they will hesitate before eventually caving to his will.

From Salon • Jan. 3, 2026

While I’d like to push back more, I know myself, and will end up caving and buying a new dress.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 8, 2025

I couldn’t stop shaking, and my limbs felt like they were caving in on themselves.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023