cave

noun
UK: /keɪv/
US: /keɪv/

  1. A large hole in the side of a hill or cliff, or under the ground.

    1. We went inside the cave to get out of the rain. [ ] [ ]
    2. The scientists explored the cave system to look for evidence of early human life. [ ] [ ]

  2. A hollow place inside something.

    1. The old tree had a cave inside of its trunk. [ ] [ ]
    2. The dentist found a small cave forming in one of my molars during the checkup. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

cavern grotto hollow excavate
cave intransitive-verb

  1. To explore caves as a hobby or sport.

    1. They like to cave on weekends. [ ] [ ]
    2. Many people are learning to cave in a safe way, using special equipment. [ ] [ ]

  2. To fall inwards.

    1. The roof might cave in if it snows too much. [ ] [ ]
    2. After years of neglect, the old mine entrance began to cave in, blocking access. [ ] [ ]
cave transitive-verb

  1. To cause something to fall inwards.

    1. The explosion caved the tunnel. [ ] [ ]
    2. The force of the water caved the riverbank. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "cave" in English means: A large hole in the side of a hill or cliff, or under the ground., A hollow place inside something..

The phonetic transcription of "cave" is /keɪv/ in British English and /keɪv/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "cave": cavern, grotto, hollow, excavate.

Example usage of "cave": "We went inside the cave to get out of the rain.". More examples on the page.