Main Entry:

¹cage

Pronunciation:

\ˈkāj\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin cavea cavity, cage, from cavus hollow — more at cave

Date:

13th century

1: a box or enclosure having some openwork for confining or carrying animals (as birds)2 a: a barred cell for confining prisoners b: a fenced area for prisoners of war3: a framework serving as support <the steel cage of a skyscraper>4 a: an enclosure resembling a cage in form or purpose <a cashier's cage> b: an arrangement of atoms or molecules so bonded as to enclose a space in which another atom or ion (as of a metal) can reside5 a: batting cage b: a goal consisting of posts or a frame with a net attached (as in ice hockey)6: a large building containing an area for practicing outdoor sports and often adapted for indoor events

— cage·ful \-ˌfu̇l\ noun