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.
verb (used with object),caved,cav·ing.
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.
verb (used without object),caved,cav·ing.
to cave in.
Verb Phrases
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
1175–1225; Middle English <Old French <Late Latin cava (feminine singular), Latin cava, neuter plural of cavum hole, noun use of neuter of cavus hollow
The team at Mount Rainier was supposed to look for these snow caves at the end of the spring, after the animals have left but before the snow all melts.
Mount Rainier’s first wolverine mama in a century is a sign of the species’ comeback|Hannah Seo|August 28, 2020|Popular Science
Other broken-off cave growths had been wielded as digging tools.
Underwater caves once hosted the Americas’ oldest known ochre mines|Bruce Bower|July 3, 2020|Science News
The newly found items include stone tools and pendants made from cave bear teeth.
This cave hosted the oldest known human remains in Europe|Bruce Bower|June 12, 2020|Science News For Students
His team spends up to 12 hours each time it ventures into these deep caves.
The challenge of dinosaur hunting in deep caves|John Pickrell|May 19, 2020|Science News For Students
In response, the angry Amaterasu retreated into a dark cave, thus snatching away her divine light from the world, while the ever-boisterous Susanoo went away from heaven.
12 Major Japanese Gods and Goddesses You Should Know About|Dattatreya Mandal|May 6, 2020|Realm of History
Cast Angelina Jolie in that role with Brad Pitt as the cave hubbie, and maybe we have a blockbuster in the making.
Can Tarzan of the Apes Survive in a Post-Colonial World?|Ted Gioia|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The existence of the images—which resemble the styles and themes found in European cave art—has been known for some time.
The Oldest Cave Art May Not Be in Europe|Justin Jones|October 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was dark, dank, the walls charcoal-colored, the feeling of a cave.
Fighting Back With Faith: Inside the Yezidis’ Iraqi Temple|Michael Luongo|August 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Its name translates to “Cave of the Stone Sepulcher,” but locally it is called by a nickname that means “a place of fear.”
The Cave Where Mayans Sacrificed Humans Is Open for Visitors|Nina Strochlic|August 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ironically, the first archaeologist to explore the cave had a connection to the most legendary fictional explorer.
The Cave Where Mayans Sacrificed Humans Is Open for Visitors|Nina Strochlic|August 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And there is the cave under the rock where Moses dwelt, when he fasted forty days and forty nights.
The Travels of Sir John Mandeville|John Mandeville
One bolt struck near with a tremendous shock and the air was driven in violent waves into the very mouth of the cave.
The Keepers of the Trail|Joseph A. Altsheler
The statement may be true; but instead of a cave there is only a tunnel a few rods in length.
Archeological Investigations|Gerard Fowke
The mouth of the cave could be closed up and opened at will for later burials.
Archology and the Bible|George A. Barton
He stayed no more with the Giant maid, but flew up into the high rocks of the cave.
The Children of Odin|Padraic Colum
British Dictionary definitions for cave (1 of 2)
cave1
/ (keɪv) /
noun
an underground hollow with access from the ground surface or from the sea, often found in limestone areas and on rocky coastlines
Britishhistorya secession or a group seceding from a political party on some issueSee Adullamite
(modifier)living in caves
verb
(tr)to hollow out
See also cave in, caving
Word Origin for cave
C13: from Old French, from Latin cava, plural of cavum cavity, from cavus hollow
cavern, grotto, cavity, pothole, den, hollow, rock shelter, subterrane
Scientific definitions for cave
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.