excavation
Americannoun
-
a hole or cavity made by excavating.
-
the act of excavating.
-
an area in which excavating has been done or is in progress, as an archaeological site.
Related Words
See hole.
Other Word Forms
- excavational adjective
- nonexcavation noun
- reexcavation noun
Etymology
Origin of excavation
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin excavātiōn- (stem of excavātiō ) “a hollowing.” See excavate, -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Police said it happened when a 60-year-old employee at the firm was operating the heavy excavation equipment used to scrap old cars.
From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026
According to Jean-Paul Raynal, who co-directed the program during the key excavation period, repeated changes in sea level, wind-driven sedimentation, and rapid cementation of coastal sands created ideal conditions for preserving fossils and archaeological evidence.
From Science Daily • Feb. 7, 2026
Now comes a second neo-noir that has us primed for an epic excavation beneath the foundations on which the industry stands.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026
It is more an excavation of the radical man’s life than an account of it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026
The excavation at Cape Gelidonya was truly a landmark event.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
