excavate

Meanings

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

1. Made hollow.
2. excavated, hollowed out

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

Etymology

First attested in 1599, from Latin excavātus (“hollowed out”), perfect passive participle of excavō (“to hollow out”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ex (“out”) + cavō (“to hollow out, pierce”), from cavus (“cave, hole”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). Participial usage up until Early Modern English.