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caved

 - 4 dictionary results

cave

[keyv] noun, verb, caved, cav⋅ing.
–noun
1. a hollow in the earth, esp. one opening more or less horizontally into a hill, mountain, etc.
2. a storage cellar, esp. for wine.
3. English History. a secession, or a group of seceders, from a political party on some special question.
–verb (used with object)
4. to hollow out.
5. Mining.
a. to cause (overlying material) to fall into a stope, sublevel, or the like.
b. to cause (supports, as stulls or sets) to collapse beneath overlying material.
c. to fill (a stope or the like) with caved-in material: sub-level caving.
–verb (used without object)
6. to cave in.
7. cave in,
a. to fall in; collapse.
b. to cause to fall in or collapse.
c. Informal. to yield; submit; surrender: The opposition caved in before our superior arguments.

Origin:
1175–1225; ME < OF < LL cava (fem. sing.), L cava, neut. pl. of cavum hole, n. use of neut. of cavus hollow


cavelike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To caved
cave   (kāv)   
n.  
  1. A hollow or natural passage under or into the earth, especially one with an opening to the surface.

  2. A storage cellar, especially for wine.

v.   caved, cav·ing, caves

v.   tr.
  1. To dig or hollow out.

  2. To cause to collapse or fall in. Often used with in: The impact caved in the roof of the car.

v.   intr.
  1. To fall in; collapse. Often used with in: The walls caved in during the earthquake.

  2. To give up all opposition; yield. Often used with in: The school committee caved in to the demands of parents.

  3. To explore caves.


[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin cava, from neuter pl. of cavus, hollow; see keuə- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

cave  (v.)
1707, Amer.Eng., presumably from E.Anglian dial. calve "collapse, fall in," perhaps from Flem., infl. by cave (n.). Figurative sense of "yield to pressure" is from 1837.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Science Dictionary
cave   (kāv)  Pronunciation Key 
A naturally occurring underground hollow or passage, especially one with an opening to the surface of the Earth. Caves can form through a variety of processes, including the dissolution of limestone by flowing water, the differential cooling of volcanic magma (which occurs when the outside surface of the lava cools, but the inside continues to flow downwards, forming a hollow tube), or the action of wind and waves along a rocky coast.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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