cavern

[ kav-ern ]

noun

1. a cave, especially one that is large and mostly underground.
2. Pathology. a cavity that is produced by disease, especially one produced in the lungs by tuberculosis.

verb (used with object)

1. to enclose in or as if in a cavern.
2. to hollow out to form a cavern.

cavern

/ ˈkævən /

noun

1. a cave, esp when large and formed by underground water, or a large chamber in a cave

verb

1. to shut in or as if in a cavern
2. to hollow out

cavern

/ kăv′ərn /

1. A large cave.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cavern¹

1325–75; Middle English caverne < Latin caverna, equivalent to cav ( us ) hollow + -erna, as in cisterna cistern

Word History and Origins

Origin of cavern¹

C14: from Old French caverne, from Latin caverna, from cavus hollow; see cave ¹

Example Sentences

Among those who witnessed filming was Port Sunlight-born visitor David Thomas, who attended the historic 1962 gig a few weeks after seeing the band for the first time at The Cavern Club when Best was drummer and the band had recently returned from their residency in Hamburg.

From BBC

As we make our way into the vast cavern, my guide explains how Eberhard dissected samples and sent them to England for analysis.

From Salon

No, it was the sound of the Democratic Party’s collective id — a genie squelched and suppressed for so long its very existence seemed apocryphal — escaping from the underground cavern where it’s been trapped for ever so many years.

From Salon

No, it was the sound of the Democratic Party’s collective id — a genie squelched and suppressed for so long its very existence seemed apocryphal — escaping from the underground cavern where it’s been trapped for ever so many years.

From Salon

Emotionally, after riding through a cavern featuring a frog-led band with a firefly chorus, all creating a rousing, sing-along take on “Dig a Little Deeper,” the mood is one of pure uplift.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cave
• grotto
• pothole