different between excavate vs cavity

English

Etymology 1

Known since 1599, from Latin excav?tus (“hollowed out”), perfect passive participle of excav? (“hollow out”), from ex (“out”) + cav? (“make a hole”), from cavus (“cave, hole”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??k.sk?.ve?t/

Verb

excavate (third-person singular simple present excavates, present participle excavating, simple past and past participle excavated)

1. (transitive) To make a hole in (something); to hollow.
2. (transitive) To remove part of (something) by scooping or digging it out.
3. (transitive) To uncover (something) by digging.

Related terms

• excavation
• excavator

Translations

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

excavate (plural excavates)

1. (zoology) Any member of a major grouping of unicellular eukaryotes, of the clade Excavata.

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “excavate”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Latin

Verb

excav?te

1. second-person plural present active imperative of excav?

English

Etymology

From Middle English cavity, from Middle French cavité, from Late Latin cavitas, from Latin cavus (“hollow”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?kæv?ti/
• • (US) IPA^(key): [?k?æv??i]

Noun

cavity (plural cavities)

1. A hole or hollow depression.
2. A hollow area within the body (such as the sinuses).
3. (dentistry) A small or large hole in a tooth caused by caries; often also a soft area adjacent to the hole also affected by caries.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:hole
• (dentistry): caries

Derived terms

Related terms

• cave
• concave
• excavate
• excavation
• excavator

Translations

Further reading

• cavity in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• cavity in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• cavity at OneLook Dictionary Search