excavation

[eks-kuh-vey-shuhn]

noun

1. a hole or cavity made by excavating.

2. the act of excavating.

3. an area in which excavating has been done or is in progress, as an archaeological site.

Other Word Forms

• excavational adjective
• nonexcavation noun
• reexcavation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of excavation¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin excavātiōn- (stem of excavātiō ) “a hollowing.” See excavate, -ion

Synonym Study

See hole.

Example Sentences

So excavation of the well was a significant moment.

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"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.

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The samples also helped experts date the excavations.

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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.

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The project’s genesis as an excavation of found material hints at concepts having to do with forgotten technology and lost futures, yet the emotional appeal of the music is palpable.

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Related Words

• dig 
• mining 
• removal