cave
1 of 3noun
ˈkāv 
plural caves
1
: a natural chamber or series of chambers in the earth or in the side of a hill or cliff
2
: a usually underground chamber for storage
a wine cave
also : the articles stored there
3
: a place providing privacy or seclusion from others
When a friend dragged her out of her cave to go salsa dancing for the first time, the rhythms … stepped into her soul …
Leslie Guttman
see also man cave Leslie Guttmancave
2 of 3verb (1)
caved; caving
transitive verb
: to form a cave in or under
intransitive verb
: to explore caves especially as a sport or hobby
caver
ˈkā-vər
noun cave
3 of 3verb (2)
ˈkāv
caved; caving
intransitive verb
1
: to fall in or down especially from being undermined —usually used with in
2
: to cease to resist : submit —usually used with in
transitive verb
: to cause to fall or collapse —usually used with in
Synonyms
Noun
- antre
- cavern
- delve [archaic]
- grot
- grotto
Verb (2)
- buckle
- collapse
- crumple
- founder
- give
- go
- go out
- implode
- tumble
- yield
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun Kentucky's Mammoth Cave is actually a series of large chambers on five levels.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin cava, noun derivative from feminine of cavus "hollow, concave" — more at hole entry 1
Verb (1)
Middle English caven, in part derivative of cave cave entry 1, in part borrowed from Latin cavāre "to hollow out" — more at excavate
Verb (2)
probably alteration of calve
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (1)
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Verb (2)
1513, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Phrases Containing cave
Kids Definition
cave 1 of 2
noun
ˈkāv
: a large hollow place formed by natural processes in the side of a hill or cliff or underground
cave
2 of 2verb
caved; caving
: to fall or cause to fall in or down : collapse
The mine caved in.
concaves
noun
as in cavities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- cavities
- concavities
- hollows
- depressions
- indentations
- pits
- dents
- craters
- valleys
- indents
- recesses
- wells
- grooves
- dints
- bowls
- furrows
- indentures
- dips
- basins
- holes
- troughs
- dimples
- trenches
- pockets
- gouges
- notches
- impressions
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- protrusions
- convexities
- projections
- protuberances
- overhangs
- swells
- bulges
- bunches
- bumps
- knobs
- humps
- swellings
- juts
- nubs
- puffs
- dilatations
- lumps
- domes
- knots
- blobs
- snags
- knurls
- obtrusions
- gibbosities