cavity
Americannoun
plural
cavities-
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.
noun
-
a hollow space; hole
-
dentistry a soft decayed area on a tooth See caries
-
any empty or hollow space within the body
the oral cavity
-
electronics See cavity resonator
-
A hollow; a hole.
-
A hollow area within the body.
-
A pitted area in a tooth caused by caries.
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Triceratops and other horned dinosaurs had exceptionally large nasal cavities compared to most animals.
From Science Daily
The underground cavity was detected through detailed radar data analysis as part of a project supported by the Italian Space Agency.
From Science Daily
Instead, they enlist help from mesothelial cells, which normally serve as a protective lining inside the abdominal cavity.
From Science Daily
GE Vernova is also investing an “immense amount” of capital into decarbonizing gas by capturing carbon emitted from gas production and injecting it back into cavities in the ground, Strazik said.
From Barron's
At the moment it's derelict, but Goldsworthy explained his plans to create a rammed earth wall with a deep cavity in the middle, the size of a grave.
From BBC
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.
