excavate
To make a hole in; to hollowTo make a hole in (something); to hollow.
» Tom owns an excavating company.
Meaning
3 senses(transitive)To make a hole in (something); to hollow.
(transitive)To remove part of (something) by scooping or digging it out.
remove the inner part or the core of
(transitive)To uncover (something) by digging.
find by digging in the ground
Examples
17 sentencesTom owns an excavating company.
The team excavates carefully for the archaeologists.
The site has never been excavated properly.
He excavated the mountain and drew out a rat.
The road is easily excavated because the ground is soft.
Translations
3 languagesOrigin
First attested in 1599, from Latin excavātus (“hollowed out”), perfect passive participleFirst attested in 1599, from Latin excavātus (“hollowed out”), perfect passive participle of excavō (“to hollow out”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ex (“out”) + cavō (“to hollow out, pierce”), from cavus (“cave, hole”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). Participial usage up until Early Modern English.
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Forms
excavates, excavating, excavated, excavatedSynonyms
5 synonymsWord family
6 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle