excavation
Americannoun
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a hole or cavity made by excavating.
-
the act of excavating.
-
an area in which excavating has been done or is in progress, as an archaeological site.
Related Words
See hole.
Other Word Forms
- excavational adjective
- nonexcavation noun
- reexcavation noun
Etymology
Origin of excavation
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin excavātiōn- (stem of excavātiō ) “a hollowing.” See excavate, -ion
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.
These samples came from earlier excavations in Tanzania, Malawi, and South Africa, regions known for early human activity.
From Science Daily
It said that they are on display "for the first time" since British excavations in 1898 unearthed them and they were subsequently scattered across the world.
From Barron's
For Jamie Blair, who owns Glasgow skateboarding shop Clan Skates, the excavation brought back many memories.
From BBC
He arranged for the excavation to take place throughout the summer of 1982, with the Bearsden shark the most exciting find.
From BBC
Four test excavations were completed by archaeologists to understand the site's occupation.
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.
