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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

cave en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /keɪv/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
  • /kæɪv/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
  • /keːv/ (Wales) without the pane–pain merger
  • /kev/ (Scotland)
  • kāv
  • (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English cave, borrowed from Old French cave, from Latin cava (“cavity”), from cavus (“hollow”). Cognate with Tocharian B kor (“throat”), Albanian cup (“odd, uneven”), Ancient Greek κύαρ (kúar, “eye of needle, earhole”), Old Armenian սոր (sor, “hole”), Sanskrit शून्य (śūnya, “empty, barren, zero”). Displaced native Old English sċræf. More at cavum, cavus and cage.

Meanings

  1. A large, naturally-occurring cavity formed underground or in the face of a cliff or a hillside.
    • We found a cave on the mountainside where we could take shelter.
    • The preposterous altruism too![…]Resist not evil. It is an insane immolation of self—as bad intrinsically as fakirs stabbing themselves or anchorites warping their spines in caves scarcely large enough for a fair-sized dog. 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XVI, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
  2. A hole, depression, or gap in earth or rock, whether natural or man-made.
    • Every boy at one time or another has dug a cave; I suppose because ages and ages ago his ancestors had to live in caves, […] 1918, Edward Alfred Steiner, Uncle Joe's Lincoln, page 52:
  3. A storage cellar, especially for wine or cheese.
    • This wine has been aged in our cave for thirty years.
  4. A place of retreat, such as a man cave.
    • My room was a cozy cave where I could escape from my family.
  5. A naturally-occurring cavity in bedrock which is large enough to be entered by an adult.
    • It was not strictly a cave, but a narrow fissure in the rock.
  6. (qualifier:nuclear physics) A shielded area where nuclear experiments can be carried out.
    • These potential radiation fields or radioactive material levels may be the result of normal operations (ie, radiation in a target cave) […] 1986, National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Radiation Alarms and Access Control Systems, →ISBN, page 45:
  7. (qualifier:drilling, uncountable) Debris, particularly broken rock, which falls into a drill hole and interferes with drilling.
    • […] the casing can then be placed in the hole without encountering any cave and core drilling in rock can begin. 1951, James Deans Cumming, Diamond Drill Handbook, page 134:
  8. A collapse or cave-in.
    • The "breasts" of marble which unite the opposite lateral walls have been left standing in order to prevent a possible cave of the wall on either side. 1885, Angelo Heilprin, Town Geology: The Lesson of the Philadelphia Rocks, page 79:
  9. (also, figuratively, slang) The vagina.
    • Then without a word she lay on her back in the bed, her dark blond pubic hair rising about her dark wet cave like dried brush about a hidden spring. 1976, Chester Himes, My Life of Absurdity, page 59:
  10. (qualifier:often "Cave", slang) A group that breaks from a larger political party or faction on a particular issue.
    • Without joining the cave, Hyde had abstained both in December 1956 and May 1957. 1964, Leon D. Epstein, British Politics in the Suez Crisis, page 125:
  11. (obsolete) Any hollow place, or part; a cavity.
    • the cave of the ear 1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:
  12. A code cave.
    • Once a code cave is created, you can execute it using either thread injection or thread hijacking. […] Additionally, you'd need to make sure that the cave properly cleans the stack. 2016, Nick Cano, Game Hacking: Developing Autonomous Bots for Online Games:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
caves Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

Strinati's cave salamander · cave myotis · blowing cave · cavelet · caveboy · cave guest · cave-painting · ice cave · Tasmanian cave spider · mom cave · woman cave · breathing cave · cave flyer · salt cave · seacave · cave disease · cavegirl · Aladdin's cave · cliff cave · cave hyena · Subway Cave · cave lion · Cave of Adullam · Fingal's Cave · incave · cave popcorn · Wind Cave · Wombeyan Caves · cave bat · cave painting · cave swallow · palaeocave · Denisova Cave · cave cricket · Caves Beach · gypsum cave · encave · cavemate · The Caves · caveless · show cave · cave pearl · cave diver · Caveside · wine cave · Blackfellows Caves · cavefish · cave swiftlet · goon cave · caveperson · cave formation · cave salamander · cave physa · cave bear · cavewoman · intercave · cave line · sea cave · caveman · caveful · paleocave · cave art · littoral cave · cavemouth · cave dweller · cavelike

Synonyms

earthhole

Translations (354)

rsk пещера (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · az kaha (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · pac cưp (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · scn grutta (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · az zağa (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · bg убе́жище (place of retreat) · fi kellari (storage cellar) · gl covancha (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · nah ōztōtl (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sh пѐћина (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · gl palafurna (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · grc σπήλαιον (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sm ana (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · el σπηλιά (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · tk gowak (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ta கெவி (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ro grotă (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · kmr şkeft (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · tzm ⵉⴼⵔⵉ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · lo ຄູຫາ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · uz mogʻora (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · zh 洞窟 (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ta பாழி (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · kim үӈгүр (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · mg lavabato (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ba мәғәрә (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · bno kweba (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · pam lungga (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · scn caverna (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · niq kepen (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · nl grot (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · vec buranga (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · tbl kilib (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ug ئۆڭكۈر (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · el σπήλαιο (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · gu ગુફા (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · hi खोह (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · la antrum (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ru печо́ра (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · oj waanzh (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ro cavernă (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · zza lan (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sv grotta (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · cy ogof (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · mnc ᡩᡠᠩ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fi soppi (place of retreat) · az mağara (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · lo ຖໍ້າ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · oc espeluga (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ist gruota (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · gl cabouco (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ilo kueba (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · pt caverna (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ar كهف (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · zh 石窟 (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · nn hòle (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · hu lyuk (figurative: vagina) · de Höhle (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · it caverna (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · hi कंदरा (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · shn ထမ်ႈ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · es cueva (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sne gua (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · is hellir (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ce хьех (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · iu ᐃᓗ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · mrw langob (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · tr mağara (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · enm cave (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ru впа́дина (hole, depression, or gap in earth or rock) · rsk яскиня (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · grc σπῆλυγξ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ps مغاره (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ur غار (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · pt gruta (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · rif ifri (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · az köhül (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · vec tarabùs (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ceb kuweba (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · la spēlunca (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ja(large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · gv ooig (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ga uaimh (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · orv печера (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · vec sperùgia (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · li grót (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · gl furna (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ltg ola (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · af grot (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · bcl bongag (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · pdt Heel (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fj qaravatu (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ml ഗുഹ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fi luola (hole, depression, or gap in earth or rock) · et koobas (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · kk тау қуысы (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · kw gogow (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · duu dung (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sdh ئِشکەفت (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · kk үңгір (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sn bako (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sk jaskyňa (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · la caverna (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · pl pieczara (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · gd uamh (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · war kuweba (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · tl yungib (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · tk süren (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · zh 洞穴 (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sh pèćina (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · tzm ⴰⴼⵔⵉ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · be падзяме́лле (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · enm den (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · tl kuweba (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · tli tatóok (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · bdq hơgơ̆p (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · apq poŋ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ka მღვიმე (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · pl jaskinia (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · chr ᎤᏍᏓᎦᎸᎢ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · nv tséʼáán (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · tg ғор (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ga pluais (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · akk 𒆢 (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · km ចង្ហុក (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ko 동혈 (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fa مُغارِه (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · bo ཕུག་པ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ltg dūbums (hole, depression, or gap in earth or rock) · sh špȉlja (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · bjn guha (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · gl cova (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · bh गुफा (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · nl hol (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · vi hang (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sa गुहा (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · my ဂူ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · lad meara (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · br groc'h (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · uk підземе́лля (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fi porausjäte (drilling debris) · oc balma (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · mww qhov tsua (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · it incavo (hole, depression, or gap in earth or rock) · vo lekev (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ain ポル (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · rup piștireauâ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · qu macai (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · hi गुफ़ा (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · hy քարայր (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · am ዋሻ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · cop ⲥⲡⲉⲗⲉⲱⲛ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · my ဥမင် (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · my လိုဏ် (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · wa trô d' rotche (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · grc ἄντρον (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · pam kueba (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · bcl kuweba (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · vec grota (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · gl cubela (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fi luola (caving: naturally-occurring cavity large enough to be entered by an adult) · ko 동굴 (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ps غار (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · bg пещера́ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · gl broque (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · hy քարանձավ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sh шпи̏ља (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fi luola (nuclear physics: shielded place for nuclear experiments) · cs jeskyně (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ar غَار (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fy dobbe (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · an espelunga (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · gug yvykua (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · tk köwek (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sw pango (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · xag 𐔱𐔴𐕊𐔴𐕒𐕡𐕎 (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ru подземе́лье (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · io kaverno (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · lv ala (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · he מְעָרָה (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ro peșteră (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · pa ਗੁਫਾ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fr antre (place of retreat) · tg мағора (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sh spȉlja (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ar غَار (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ar كَهْف (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ko(large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · gl cova (hole, depression, or gap in earth or rock) · rif ifri (hole, depression, or gap in earth or rock) · as গুহা (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · or ଗୁମ୍ଫା (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · blt ꪖꪾ꫁ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · bno kuyba (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ar كهف (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · smq bogo ou (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ca espluga (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · nb grotte (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ms kahaf (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · cv ҫӗр хӑвӑлӗ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ar مغارة (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fi siipi (political slang: group that breaks on a particular issue) · ps سمڅ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · qu mach'ay (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ckb ئەشکەوت (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fo hola (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · eo kaverno (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · uga 𐎎𐎙𐎗𐎚 (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ba мәмерйә (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · lt urvas (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ast cueva (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · mk пештера (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · bg ду́пка (hole, depression, or gap in earth or rock) · ar كَهْف (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ltg globuotive (place of retreat) · tsg sungab (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · nn grotte (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · es gruta (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · eu haitzulo (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sq zgafelle (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ca balma (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · mhr курыкпомыш (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · shi ⵉⴼⵔⵉ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ar كَهْف (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · haw ana (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fr grotte (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · hi गुफा (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fi luola (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · war lungib (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · vi động (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · cu пещера (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ltg dūbs (hole, depression, or gap in earth or rock) · crh qoba (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ang sċræf (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ltg skombys f plural noun (drilling debris) · ks گۄپھ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · lo ຖ້ຳ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fr éboulement (mining: collapse or cave-in) · it spelonca (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · oj waazh (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · zdj panga (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · mtq hang (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · it grotta (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · nod ᨳ᩶ᩣᩴ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · arc ܡܥܲܪܬܼܵܐ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · an espluga (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ar مَغَارة (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ltg pamaste (storage cellar) · gl groba (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ms gua (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · duu lungdung (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ja 洞窟 (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ltg ola (caving: naturally-occurring cavity large enough to be entered by an adult) · ky үңкүр (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ltg nūsagraudīņs (mining: collapse or cave-in) · zh(large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fa اِشْکَفْت (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ru убе́жище (place of retreat) · kn ಗವಿ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · crh mağara (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ebk liyang (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · da hule (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · uz gʻor (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ti በዓቲ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ltg ola (hole, depression, or gap in earth or rock) · ar كاف (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fi sortuma (mining: collapse or cave-in) · kxd gua (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ta குகை (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fa غار (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ur گُفا (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · avd ماغار (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ceb langob (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · nb hole (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sh спи̏ља (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ar غار (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ltg caurums (figurative: vagina) · tr oyuk (hole, depression, or gap in earth or rock) · fr caverne (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · os лӕгӕт (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · tr in (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ltg dūbs (caving: naturally-occurring cavity large enough to be entered by an adult) · mr गुहा (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · za gamj (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ar مَغَارَة (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · pam lukib (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · jv guwa (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · hu barlang (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · war langob (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · io groto (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · it cella (storage cellar) · gl loio (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · lad מערה (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · la specus (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ltg caurumeņš (figurative: vagina) · mt għar (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · km គុហា (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · gl báratro (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · te గుహ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · mi ana (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · tt мәгарә (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · th ถ้ำ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · uk пече́ра (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · id gua (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · bdq gơ̆p (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sq shpellë (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · bn গুহা (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · mrw liyang (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ii ꃅꐬ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fi kolo (place of retreat) · gl pala (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · it antro (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · cop ⲃⲏⲃ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · eu leize (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ltg dūbums (caving: naturally-occurring cavity large enough to be entered by an adult) · uz ungur (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sah хайа хаспаҕа (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ja 洞穴 (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ifk liyang (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · sl jama (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · mn агуй (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · th คูหา (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · be пячо́ра (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ltg nūsagrauduošona (mining: collapse or cave-in) · de Grotte (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · cjm ꨤꨝꩃ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · yi הייל (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · gl grota (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ksc liyang (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · mnw ထီု (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fr cave (storage cellar) · bcl langob (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · br mougev (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ps خوڅه (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · fo helli (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · bo བྲག་ཕུག (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · oc cauna (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · oc tuta (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ang hlǣw (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · vec cóvaƚo (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ti ባዓቲ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · av нохъо (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ka გამოქვაბული (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ca cova (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · eu harpe (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · mnc ᡩᡠᠩᡤᡠ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ru пеще́ра (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ht gwòt (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · knb gongeb (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · ms ngalau (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · pi guhā (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · cjm ꨤꨪꨝꩃ (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · mel gua (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground) · nb hule (large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground)

cave en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /keɪv/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
  • /kæɪv/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
  • /keːv/ (Wales) without the pane–pain merger
  • /kev/ (Scotland)
  • kāv
  • (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English cave, borrowed from Old French cave, from Latin cava (“cavity”), from cavus (“hollow”). Cognate with Tocharian B kor (“throat”), Albanian cup (“odd, uneven”), Ancient Greek κύαρ (kúar, “eye of needle, earhole”), Old Armenian սոր (sor, “hole”), Sanskrit शून्य (śūnya, “empty, barren, zero”). Displaced native Old English sċræf. More at cavum, cavus and cage.

Meanings

  1. (figuratively) To surrender.
    • Eventually the NUR overplayed its hands with an all-out strike. And when Peter Parker, the then-chairman of BR, who was well regarded among his staff, called their bluff by threatening to close down the entire network, they caved in. 2022 December 14, Christian Wolmar, “Productivity should play no part in pay negotiations”, in RAIL, number 972, page 46:
    • On Friday morning, Salvador Illa, the former health minister of Spain who now leads the Catalan branch of the PSOE, said the socialists would be happy to fight another general election rather than cave to Junts and the ERC’s demands. 2023 September 29, Sam Jones, “Alberto Núñez Feijóo fails to win Spanish MPs’ backing to become PM”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
    • He caved under pressure.
  2. To collapse.
    • First the braces buckled, then the roof began to cave, then we ran.
  3. To hollow out or undermine.
    • The levee has been severely caved by the river current.
  4. To engage in the recreational exploration of caves.
    • Pam has been caving for 25 years. She and her husband Tim are among the top cavers in the country. They are passionate about the world hidden beneath our feet and they were to be my instructors and guides on my first ever foray below ground that didn't involve getting on the tube. 2007 September 29, Kate Humble, “What lies beneath”, in The Guardian:
  5. In room-and-pillar mining, to extract a deposit of rock by breaking down a pillar which had been holding it in place.
    • The deposit is caved by knocking out the posts.
  6. (obsolete) To work over tailings to dress small pieces of marketable ore.
    • As an indication of the miners' desperation in these years, the free miners of Wensley lowered themselves to caving for scraps of ore. 1999, Andy Wood, The Politics of Social Conflict: The Peak Country, 1520-1770, →ISBN, page 319:
  7. (obsolete) To dwell in a cave.
    • although perhaps / It may be heard at court that such as we / Cave here, hunt here, are outlaws, and in time / May make some stronger head a. 1611, William Shakespeare, Cymbeline, act 4, scene 2:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
caves Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
caving Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
caved Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
caved Tense=Past lexicographic

Deriveds

caver · cave in · caving hammer · block caving · cave out

Synonyms

spelunk

Translations (23)

fi jäytää (to undermine) · ru уступа́ть (to surrender) · pt render-se (to surrender) · bg подкопавам (to undermine) · mi auheke (to surrender) · mi ngawhere (to surrender) · fr s'effondrer (to collapse) · fr déminer (to undermine) · fr saper (to undermine) · nl ondermijnen (to undermine) · pt ceder (to surrender) · fi kaivaa (to undermine) · bg поддавам (to surrender) · mi ngaeki (to collapse) · zh 淘空 (to undermine) · zh 坍塌 (to collapse) · fi antaa periksi (to surrender) · ru уступи́ть (to surrender) · ro ceda (to surrender) · hi ढहना (to collapse) · fr se rendre (to surrender) · fi murtua (to surrender) · fi sortua (to collapse)

cave en · INTJ · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • kāʹvē
  • /ˈkeɪvi/

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin cavē, second-person singular present active imperative of caveō (“to beware”). Used at Eton College, Berkshire.

Meanings

  1. (UK, qualifier:school slang) look out!; beware!
    • Ssh! Cave! Mum's the word! Not 'arf, or what? 1989, Ben Elton, Richard Curtis, Private Plane (Blackadder Goes Forth), season 4, episode 4, spoken by Lt. George (Hugh Laurie):

Deriveds

keep cave

Synonyms

watch it · look out · heads up

Translations (4)

fi varo (beware!) · zh 小心 (beware!) · de Achtung (beware!) · nl opgepast (beware!)

wikipedia: Eton College