cage

\ ˈkāj

How to pronounce cage (audio)

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Definition of cage

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a box or enclosure having some openwork for confining or carrying animals (such as birds)

2a : a barred cell for confining prisoners

b : a fenced area for prisoners of war

3 : a framework serving as support the steel cage of a skyscraper

4a : 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 reside

5a : 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

caged; caging

Definition of cage (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to confine or keep in or as if in a cage

2 : to drive (a puck, a shot, etc.) into a cage and score a goal

Cage

biographical name

\ ˈkāj

How to pronounce Cage (audio)

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Definition of Cage (Entry 3 of 3)

John Milton 1912–1992 American composer

Other Words from cage Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about cage

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Examples of cage in a Sentence

Noun the dogs and cats at the animal shelter looked so sad in their cages Verb caged the rabbit at night so she wouldn't wake everyone up

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun And when so many of the asylum seekers currently sitting in cages or in desperate trouble at the U.S. border are descended from the people who won their independence nearly 200 years ago. — Ellen Mcgirt, Fortune, "Feliz #HispanicHeritageMonth: raceAhead," 16 Sep. 2019 Dickerson, who is sidelined by an oblique injury, took swings in the batting cage and ran on the field prior to Friday’s series opener against the Marlins. — Kerry Crowley, The Mercury News, "Behind-the-scenes decisions come into focus for Giants as season winds down," 13 Sep. 2019 Astros shortstop Carlos Correa took three turns in the batting cage Sunday morning, fielded ground balls and went through agility drills to move one step closer toward a return to the lineup before the end of the regular season. — David Barron, Houston Chronicle, "Astros' Carlos Correa ramps up baseball activity," 8 Sep. 2019 The boy received fist bumps from other players and walked to the batting cage with Olson. — Washington Post, "A’s sign 8-year-old for a day through Make-A-Wish Foundation," 29 July 2019 The way in which Nurmagomedov grapples on the cage, violently pulling down his opponents—and keeping them down—before delivering a suffocating succession of his signature ground-and-pound is likely to spell the end of Poirier (25-5-1). — Justin Barrasso, SI.com, "Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov Returns to Fight Interim Champ Dustin Poirier at UFC 242," 6 Sep. 2019 As one of a small handful of water polo returners, Looges was back in the cage last week as Poway finished second in the annual Rancho Bernardo Invitational. — Pomerado News, "Athlete of the Week: Meet Poway High’s ‘Mr. Goalie’," 4 Sep. 2019 So, Creel and the Knine Rescue team reached out to the community and were able to arrange transportation for the sweet mutt who had spent her whole life in a cage. — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "WATCH: Dog Saved One Day Before Euthanasia to Become Senior Living Center "House Dog"," 16 Aug. 2019 The show's post-credit scene showed the Demogorgon eating the Russian prisoner after he was locked alone in a cage with the monster. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "What is a Demogorgon from "Stranger Things"?," 19 July 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb We have been separated from our families and have watched our children caged. — Sanya Mansoor, Time, "'We Will Not Be Broken.' America Ferrera and Other Latino Stars Release Poignant Letter After El Paso Shooting," 16 Aug. 2019 Today, Trump decided the solution is to cage them for longer. — Graham Kates, CBS News, "Democrats condemn Trump administration effort to extend migrant detentions," 21 Aug. 2019 We have been separated from our families and have watched our children caged. — Fortune, "The 2020 Census Is Still Problematic—Even Without the Citizenship Question: raceAhead," 20 Aug. 2019 Investigators also found caged macaw and cockatiel birds that lacked water or clean water, for which he was also charged. — David Fleshler, sun-sentinel.com, "Boxing champ Tyrone Spong faces wildlife charges after ‘extremely dangerous’ cougar gets loose," 16 Aug. 2019 Naron said the animal was not caged or on a leash and was being shown to tour guests. — Ken Ritter, BostonGlobe.com, "Wayne Newton sued over monkey biting girl visiting his home," 9 Aug. 2019 First of all, what Trump is trying to do is compare parts of Baltimore with people being caged along the border. — Washington Post, "Maryland slaps back at Trump over tweet attacking Baltimore and congressman," 27 July 2019 Another way is this: The post-liberal project seeks to cage the furies loosed by Donald Trump and put them at the service of an intellectually coherent movement without the baggage of a leader accused by multiple women of rape. — Alexander Zaitchik, The New Republic, "Is Josh Hawley For Real?," 25 July 2019 The officer talked to the canines’ owners, who said the animals, which were caged, got through a fence. — John Benson, cleveland.com, "Quick-change scam pulled on Chick-fil-A cashier: Strongsville Police Blotter," 26 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for cage

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Latin cavea "enclosure for poultry, cage, auditorium of a theater," of uncertain origin

Note: Latin cavea is usually taken to be a noun derivative of an unattested adjective *caveus, from cavus "hollow, concave" (see cave entry 1, hole entry 1) though what the meaning of such a word would be is unclear, as cavea denotes an enclosure rather than a cavity in something larger; note that -eus is normally a denominal suffix meaning "made of" (see -eous). Perhaps of relevance is the suffix of alveus "trough, hull, channel" (see alveolus).

Verb

derivative of cage entry 1

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More Definitions for cage

cage

Financial Definition of cage

What It Is

A cage is a department in a brokerage firm.

How It Works

The cage is a physical location in which people at a brokerage firm handle physical securities and certificates. The location is called a cage because it usually has bars or other barriers to prevent other people from entering and exiting, and it usually has a vault.

Why It Matters

The cage is a crucial part of any brokerage firm's operations because it ensures that clients' physical certificates are kept safe and sound, and that the right securities are exchanged in transactions.

Source: Investing Answers

cage

noun

English Language Learners Definition of cage

: a box made of wire or metal bars in which people keep animals or birds

See the full definition for cage in the English Language Learners Dictionary

cage

\ ˈkāj

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Kids Definition of cage

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a box or enclosure that has large openings covered usually with wire net or bars and is used for keeping birds or animals a hamster cage

2 : an enclosure like a cage in shape or purpose a bank teller's cage

cage

caged; caging

Kids Definition of cage (Entry 2 of 2)

: to put or keep in or as if in a cage She caged the birds together.

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cage

\ ˈkāj

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Medical Definition of cage

: an arrangement of atoms or molecules so bonded as to enclose a space in which another atom or ion (as of a metal) can reside

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WORD OF THE DAY

incongruous

not being in agreement or harmony

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