excavation

noun

ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce excavation (audio)
1
: the action or process of excavating
2
: a cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping
excavational
ˌek-skə-ˈvā-sh(ə-)nəl
-shə-nᵊl
adjective

Examples of excavation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web According to the excavation team, the rooms measure approximately 32 by 16 feet and feature Roman-style walls and white marble altars with alcoves that likely held sacred stones. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2024 Beiser tracks cobalt and lithium from environmentally destructive excavation sites in Chile’s Atacama Desert and the deep-sea floor through a geopolitically fraught supply chain to our electric cars and solar panels. Dana Dunham, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024 This foraging was also evident in the fossils found at an excavation site in the Nilpena Ediacara National Park, in South Australia. New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2024 According to a report from the Medical Examiner's office, an investigator climbed down a ladder into the 3-foot-deep excavation site and observed multiple bones sticking out of the dirt on one of the side walls. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for excavation 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'excavation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin excavātiōn-, excavātiō, from excavāre "to hollow out, excavate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of excavation was circa 1611

Dictionary Entries Near excavation

Cite this Entry

“Excavation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excavation. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

excavation

noun
ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce excavation (audio)
1
: the act or process of excavating
2
: a hollowed-out place formed by excavating

Medical Definition

excavation

noun
ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce excavation (audio)
1
: the action or process of excavating
2
: a cavity formed by or as if by cutting, digging, or scooping
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!