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cavity

[ kav-i-tee ]
/ ˈkæv ɪ ti /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR cavity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural cav·i·ties.

any hollow place; hollow.
Anatomy. a hollow space within the body, an organ, a bone, etc.
a hollow space or a pit in a tooth, most commonly produced by caries. A cavity may be artificially made to support dental restorations.

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RELATED WORDS

crater, dent, decay, void, vacuity, hollow, pocket, chamber, gap, atrium, hole, sinus, pit, basin, depression, socket, bursa, caries, armpit

Nearby words

  1. cavitary,
  2. cavitate,
  3. cavitation,
  4. cavite,
  5. cavitis,
  6. cavity block,
  7. cavity resonator,
  8. cavity wall,
  9. cavo-relievo,
  10. cavogram

Origin of cavity

1535–45; < Middle French cavite < Late Latin cavitās hollowness, equivalent to Latin cav(us) hollow + -itās -ity
Related formscav·i·tied, adjectivesub·cav·i·ty, noun, plural sub·cav·i·ties.un·cav·i·tied, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cavity

British Dictionary definitions for cavity

cavity

/ (ˈkævɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

a hollow space; hole
dentistry a soft decayed area on a toothSee caries
any empty or hollow space within the bodythe oral cavity
electronics See cavity resonator

Word Origin for cavity

C16: from French cavité, from Late Latin cavitās, from Latin cavus hollow
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
Word Origin and History for cavity

cavity

n.

1540s, from Middle French cavité (13c.), from Late Latin cavitatem (nominative cavitas) "hollowness," from Latin cavus "hollow" (see cave (n.)).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for cavity

cavity

[ kăv′ĭ-tē ]

n.

A hollow area within the body, such as a sinus cavity.
A pitted area in a tooth caused by caries.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Science definitions for cavity

cavity

[ kăv′ĭ-tē ]

A hollow; a hole.
A hollow area within the body.
A pitted area in a tooth caused by caries.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.