excavate Hear it!

excavate Definition

ex·ca·vate (ekskə vāt′)

transitive verb -·vat′ed, -·vat′·ing

  1. to make a hole or cavity in, as by digging; hollow out
  2. to form by hollowing out; dig to excavate a tunnel
  3. to uncover or expose by digging; unearth to excavate ancient ruins
  4. to dig out (earth, soil, etc.)

Etymology: < L excavatus, pp. of excavare < ex-, out + cavare, to make hollow < cavus, hollow: see cave

intransitive verb

to make an excavation

excavate Synonyms

excavate

v.

excavate Usage Examples

Object

  • trench: The main results came from a long trench excavated 25 meters east of Clark's original excavations.
  • archeologist: We examined samples in the form of two monoliths supplied by the excavating archeologists.
  • skeleton: Dig and excavate the skeleton of a mysterious prehistoric animal and then assemble the skeleton to form a dinosaur model.
  • burrow: European beavers tend to live in natural holes in banks or excavate burrows with an underwater entrance.
  • tomb: Egyptians - The Theban Mapping Project Homepage of the group excavating the largest tomb found in Egypt.
  • amphitheater: I'd like to comment on the current effort to excavate the amphitheater and on its potential as a tourist attraction.

Subject

  • archeologist: You imagine that after 1000 years the ' grave ' is excavated by archeologists.
  • hand: A license will not normally be required where material is to be excavated by hand.

Modifying Another Word

  • archeologically: An area 4 x 2.6m between Int 14 and the churchyard wall was excavated archeologically to a depth of 1.5m.
  • illegally: Its primary purpose would be to record objects that have been stolen, illegally excavated or illegally removed from monuments or wrecks.
  • partially: Little more, however, can be said about the ditch which was only partially excavated.
  • extensively: The large country villa has been extensively excavated in recent years.
  • partly: The up dip " inlet " coming into the end of the cave has also been partly excavated.
  • systematically: Side is the only ancient city on Turkey's southern shore to have been excavated systematically.

Used with why or when

  • which: Dugouts have been excavated which are thousands of years old.

Infinitive complement

  • reveal: These target areas were later excavated to reveal concrete foundations.

Preposition: in

  • 1930s: In any case, it was first excavated in the 1930s.
  • 1960s: The Spanish Armada vessels, La Girona and La Trinidad Valencera, were excavated in the 1960s and 1970s.

Preposition: by

  • archeologist: You imagine that after 1000 years the ' grave ' is excavated by archeologists.
  • hand: A license will not normally be required where material is to be excavated by hand.

Browse dictionary entries near excavate

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