different between excavation vs cavity

English

Etymology

From Latin excav?ti? (“a hollowing out”), from excav? (“I hollow out”), from ex + cav? (“I hollow out”), from cavus (“hollow”), from Proto-Indo-European *keu- (“vault, hole”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

excavation (countable and uncountable, plural excavations)

1. (uncountable) The act of excavating, or of making hollow, by cutting, scooping, or digging out a part of a solid mass.
2. (countable) A cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping.
3. (countable) An uncovered cutting in the earth, in distinction from a covered cutting or tunnel.
4. (countable) The material dug out in making a channel or cavity.
5. (uncountable) Archaeological research that unearths buildings, tombs and objects of historical value.
6. (countable) A site where an archaeological exploration is being carried out.

Translations

French

Pronunciation

Noun

excavation f (plural excavations)

1. excavation

Further reading

• “excavation” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

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