excavate
verb
- exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains
- dig a big hole
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈɛk.skə.veɪt/
adj
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.
- Made hollow.
- excavated, hollowed out
noun
Etymology: From a substantivization of Latin excavātus through the associated taxon's name (Excavata), see -ate (noun-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.
- Any member of a major grouping of unicellular eukaryotes, of the clade Excavata.
verb
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.
- To make a hole in (something); to hollow.
- To remove part of (something) by scooping or digging it out.
- To uncover (something) by digging.