English Explanatory Dictionary

excavation

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The act of excavating, or of making hollow, by cutting, scooping, or digging out a part of a solid mass.
  2. Especially, the trade of digging engineered holes for building foundations, roadbed preparations, and similar purposes.
  3. A cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping.
  4. An uncovered cutting in the earth, in distinction from a covered cutting or tunnel.
  5. The material dug out in making a channel or cavity.
  6. Archaeological research that unearths buildings, tombs and objects of historical value.
  7. A site where an archaeological exploration is being carried out.
  8. Something uncovered by archaeological excavation.
  9. The act of discovering and exposing or developing (a quality).

Pronunciation

/ˌɛkskəˈveɪʃn/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vininn126-excavation.wav

Word forms

excavation excavations

Etymology

From Latin excavātiō (“a hollowing out”), from excavō (“to hollow out”), from ex + cavō (“to hollow out”), from cavus (“hollow”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱewh₁- (“vault, hole”). Equivalent to excavate + -ion.

Synonyms

hollowing out hollowing

Derived words

excavational excavationist excavation unit nonexcavation reexcavation re-excavation sub-excavation

Translations

Bulgarian: изкопа́ване Catalan: excavació Dutch: afgraving Finnish: kaivaminen Finnish: kaivuu German: Grabung German: Ausgrabung Greek: εκσκαφή Ancient Greek: ἀνασκαφή Gujarati: ખોદકામ Ido: exkavo Ido: exkavado Italian: scavo Latin: excavatio Malay: penggalian Malay: pengorekan Malay: ekskavasi Polish: wykopalisko Portuguese: escavação Russian: копа́ние Russian: рытьё Russian: экскава́ция Scottish Gaelic: cladhach Spanish: excavación Swedish: utgrävning Telugu: తవ్వకము Turkish: kazı Ottoman Turkish: قازمه
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