cave
cave [cave caves caved caving] noun, verb BrE [keɪv] NAmE [keɪv] noun a large hole in the side of a hill or under the ground •the mouth (= the entrance) of the cave •The area contains vast underground cave systems. •a cave-dweller (= a person who lives in a ↑cave ) Word Origin: Middle English: from Old French, from Latin cava, from cavus ‘hollow’ (compare with ↑cavern). The usage cave in may be from the synonymous dialect expression calve in, influenced by obsolete cave ‘excavate, hollow out’. Example Bank: •We took shelter in a dark cave. •a collapsed limestone cave Derived: ↑cave in verb see also ↑caving Verb forms: Word Origin: Middle English: from Old French, from Latin cava, from cavus ‘hollow’ (compare with ↑cavern). The usage cave in may be from the synonymous dialect expression calve in, influenced by obsolete cave ‘excavate, hollow out’.
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