cavern

  • 1cavern — [kav′ərn] n. [ME & OFr caverne < L caverna < cavus: see CAVE] a cave, esp. a large cave vt. 1. to enclose in or as in a cavern 2. to hollow out: often with out …

    English World dictionary

  • 2Cavern — Cav ern, n. [L. caverna, fr. cavus hollow: cf. F. caverne.] A large, deep, hollow place in the earth; a large cave. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3cavern — late 14c., from O.Fr. caverne (12c.) cave, vault, cellar, from L.L. caverna cave, from L. cavus (see CAVE (Cf. cave)). In O.E. such a land feature might be called an eorðscræf …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4cavern — [n] hollow in land formation cave, grotto, hole, pothole, subterrane, subterranean area; concept 509 …

    New thesaurus

  • 5cavern — ► NOUN 1) a large cave, or chamber in a cave. 2) a vast, dark space. DERIVATIVES cavernous adjective. ORIGIN Latin caverna, from cavus hollow …

    English terms dictionary

  • 6cavern — [[t]kæ̱və(r)n[/t]] caverns 1) N COUNT A cavern is a large deep cave. 2) N COUNT If you describe the inside of a building or a room as a cavern, you mean that it is very large and, usually, dark or without much furniture. The kitchen now is a dark …

    English dictionary

  • 7cavern — I. noun Etymology: Middle English caverne, from Middle French, from Latin caverna, from cavus Date: 14th century cave; especially one of large or indefinite extent II. transitive verb Date: circa 1630 1. to place in or as if in a cavern 2 …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 8cavern — /kav euhrn/, n. 1. a cave, esp. one that is large and mostly underground. 2. Pathol. a cavity that is produced by disease, esp. one produced in the lungs by tuberculosis. v.t. 3. to enclose in or as if in a cavern. 4. to hollow out to form a… …

    Universalium

  • 9cavern — UK [ˈkævə(r)n] / US [ˈkævərn] noun [countable] Word forms cavern : singular cavern plural caverns a large cave …

    English dictionary

  • 10cavern — cav•ern [[t]ˈkæv ərn[/t]] n. 1) gel a cave, esp. one that is large and mostly underground 2) to enclose in or as if in a cavern 3) to form a cavern of (often fol. by out) • Etymology: 1325–75; ME caverne < L caverna=cav(us) hollow + erna, as… …

    From formal English to slang