cavernous

adjective

cav·​ern·​ous ˈka-vər-nəs How to pronounce cavernous (audio)
1
a
: having caverns or cavities
b
of animal tissue : composed largely of vascular sinuses and capable of dilating with blood to bring about the erection of a body part
2
: constituting or suggesting a cavern
a cavernous warehouse
cavernously adverb

Examples of cavernous in a Sentence

We toured the cavernous airplane hangar. The dance was held in a cavernous hall.
Recent Examples on the Web Pickle Pop gave Robertson a vast canvas to show off her eye for interior design: The cavernous space has three pickleball courts in a custom dark red, a seating area filled with space-age furniture sourced from the Rose Bowl Flea Market, and sumptuous baby-blue velvet curtains cloaking the walls. Carly Olson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2023 When Gauff broke Sabalenka to open the third set—with an overhead smash after yet another indefatigable defensive stand—the crowd reached a state of delirium that tennis produces only in the cavernous Ashe Stadium, and only for an American on the verge of a U.S. Open championship. Gerald Marzorati, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2023 That’s less than half the capacity at the cavernous Superdome, where Tulane played from 1975 to 2013 (and where Tulane beat Ole Miss in the dome’s first college game in 1975). Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 9 Sep. 2023 His upper register deserted him, replaced by a cavernous bottom end. Jeff Gage, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2023 The cavernous space on the Lower East Side where the show was held was heaving with anticipation. Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2023 At Disney’s upfront, held in a cavernous space at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, the company made do without actors by leaning into its NFL and sports stars, with ESPN2 Manningcast host Peyton Manning and Serena Williams making appearances. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sep. 2023 In the cavernous main space, enormous windows bring in tons of light and provide dreamy views over the mountains and oceans. Mark David, Robb Report, 6 Sep. 2023 But if your reality is more cramped and chaotic than cavernous and collated, fear not. Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cavernous.' 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

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin cavernōsus "having hollows or depressions," from caverna "hollow space, cavern entry 1" + -ōsus -ous

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of cavernous was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near cavernous

Cite this Entry

“Cavernous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cavernous. Accessed 22 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

cavernous

adjective
cav·​ern·​ous ˈkav-ər-nəs How to pronounce cavernous (audio)
1
: having caverns or cavities
2
: resembling a cavern in being large and hollow
3
: composed largely of spaces capable of filling with blood to bring about the enlargement of a body part
cavernously adverb

Medical Definition

cavernous

adjective
cav·​ern·​ous ˈkav-ər-nəs How to pronounce cavernous (audio)
1
: having caverns or cavities
2
of tissue : composed largely of vascular sinuses and capable of dilating with blood to bring about the erection of a body part
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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