excavate

[ eks-kuh-veyt ]

verb (used with object)

, ex·ca·vat·ed, ex·ca·vat·ing.

1. to make hollow by removing the inner part; make a hole or cavity in; form into a hollow, as by digging:

   The ground was excavated for a foundation.

2. to make (a hole, tunnel, etc.) by removing material.
3. to dig or scoop out (earth, sand, etc.).
4. to expose or lay bare by or as if by digging; unearth:

   to excavate an ancient city.

excavate

/ ˈɛkskəˌveɪt /

verb

1. to remove (soil, earth, etc) by digging; dig out
2. to make (a hole, cavity, or tunnel) in (solid matter) by hollowing or removing the centre or inner part

   to excavate a tooth

3. to unearth (buried objects) methodically in an attempt to discover information about the past

Derived Forms

• ˌexcaˈvation, noun

Other Words From

• re·exca·vate verb (used with object) reexcavated reexcavating
• un·exca·vated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of excavate¹

1590–1600; < Latin excavātus (past participle of excavāre to hollow out), equivalent to ex- ex- ¹ + cav ( um ) hollow, cave + -ātus -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of excavate¹

C16: from Latin excavāre, from cavāre to make hollow, from cavus hollow

Example Sentences

"The benefits to fibre in the water is you don't need to excavate and you can run over a kilometre without having to do any land. You're just utilising the water network to provide fibre to properties at home," he said.

From BBC

For the last seven years Mr McNee has been working alongside pupils at Foyle College in Derry to excavate and recover wreckages of plane crashes in NI.

From BBC

A digger and about 40 local men are doing the slow work to excavate and look for bodies under the rubble.

From BBC

Ai went on a mission to excavate an untold story of punks in the chaotic world of Vietnamese New Wave, one that led her to a deeper cultural truth.

From Los Angeles Times

And it’s useful to excavate how it has cropped up again during the DNC and why it’s useful to Donald Trump’s supporters.

From Slate

Related Words

• scrape
• shovel
• uncover
• unearth