excavation
Americannoun
-
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.
So excavation of the well was a significant moment.
From BBC
"We have to search for even the smallest part... it's not about removing complete bodies," one of the firefighters involved in the excavations told AFP.
From Barron's
The samples also helped experts date the excavations.
From BBC
The Ness of Brodgar – a strip of land between two lochs - was the scene of 20 years of excavations until work officially ended in 2024.
From BBC
Officials hailed the findings from the excavation as “exceptional,” given they provide a rare look at a stratum of Roman history from the Roman Empire through to the 15th century.
From Seattle Times
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.
