noun
cave
kayv
noun
1
A natural hollow space underground or in the side of a cliff or hill.
"Bats roosted deep inside the limestone cave."
"Prehistoric paintings were found on the cave walls."
2
Informally, a private room or space someone retreats to (a "man cave").
"He converted the garage into his own cave with a TV and a fridge."
verb
1
To give in or surrender, especially after resisting.
"After hours of arguing, management finally caved and agreed to the raise."
"She held her ground until she caved to the kids' pleading."
2
To collapse inward.
"The old mine shaft caved in during the storm."
How to Use Cave
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn underground hollow space, or (as a verb) to give in or collapse.
Common mistake
"Cave in" (collapse or give up) is a phrasal verb — don't drop the "in" when you mean the collapsing sense.
Common pairings
cave in
man cave
explore a cave
cave dweller
Word Forms
caved past tense, caves plural, caves singular
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Bats roosted deep inside the limestone _____.
Etymology
From Old French cave, from Latin cava ("hollow, cavity"), from cavus ("hollow"). It replaced the native Old English word sċræf.