cave
a hollow in the earth, especially one opening more or less horizontally into a hill, mountain, etc.
a storage cellar, especially for wine.
English History. a secession, or a group of seceders, from a political party on some special question.
to hollow out.
Mining.
to cause (overlying material) to fall into a stope, sublevel, or the like.
to cause (supports, as stulls or sets) to collapse beneath overlying material.
to fill (a stope or the like) with caved-in material: sub-level caving.
to cave in.
cave in,
to fall in; collapse.
to cause to fall in or collapse.
Informal. to yield; submit; surrender: The opposition caved in before our superior arguments.
Origin of cave
1Other words from cave
- cavelike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for cave (1 of 2)
/ (keɪv) /
an underground hollow with access from the ground surface or from the sea, often found in limestone areas and on rocky coastlines
British history a secession or a group seceding from a political party on some issue: See Adullamite
(modifier) living in caves
(tr) to hollow out
Origin of cave
1British Dictionary definitions for cave (2 of 2)
/ (ˈkeɪvɪ) British school slang /
guard or lookout (esp in the phrase keep cave)
watch out!
Origin of cave
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for cave
[ kāv ]
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 © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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