spelaean

American

[spi-lee-uhn] / spɪˈli ən /

Or spelean

adjective

of, relating to, or inhabiting a cave or caves.

spelaean British

/ spɪˈliːən /

adjective

of, found in, or inhabiting caves

spelaean animals

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of spelaean

1830–40; < New Latin spēlae ( us ) (adj. derivative of Latin spēlaeum cave < Greek spḗlaion ) + -an

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023