cavity

American  

[kav-i-tee] / ˈkæv ɪ ti /

noun

plural

cavities

1. any hollow place; hollow.

2. Anatomy. a hollow space within the body, an organ, a bone, etc.

3. 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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cavity British  

/ ˈkævɪtɪ /

noun

1. a hollow space; hole

2. dentistry a soft decayed area on a tooth See caries

3. any empty or hollow space within the body

   the oral cavity

4. electronics See cavity resonator

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cavity Scientific  

/ kăv′ĭ-tē /

1. A hollow; a hole.

2. A hollow area within the body.

3. A pitted area in a tooth caused by caries.

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Usage

What is a cavity? A cavity is a pit or hole in a tooth caused by the decay of the enamel and bone, such as you might get if you don’t brush your teeth regularly.A cavity is more generally any hollow place or crater, as in When the old building was torn down, all that was left was a huge cavity in the ground.A cavity is also any other hole, divet, or pit in the body, such as the spinal cavity, which surrounds your spinal cord.Example: That cavity in your molar is probably from all the soda you drink.

Related Words

See hole.

Other Word Forms

• cavitied adjective
• subcavity noun
• uncavitied adjective

Etymology

Origin of cavity

First recorded in 1535–45; from Middle French cavite from Late Latin cavitās “hollowness,” equivalent to Latin cav(us) “hollow” + -itās -ity

Example Sentences

Unlike sucrose, which feeds bacteria that cause cavities, tagatose appears to limit the growth of some of those harmful microbes.

From Science Daily

Woodpeckers carve nesting cavities in the softer dead trees and broken-off snags, then move on each year, leaving behind homes for other nesting creatures, such as nuthatches and chipmunks.

From Los Angeles Times

"Basically, he had a hole in his diaphragm which meant some of his organs had risen to his chest cavity, and they were pressing against his lungs so his lungs couldn't develop properly," Maddie said.

From BBC

To explore this challenge, the team studied cavity resonators.

From Science Daily

A major incident has been declared over what police have called a sinkhole at a canal in Shropshire, leaving boats either stricken in a gaping cavity or teetering on the edge of a drop.

From BBC

Related Words

• crater