cavity

noun

cav·​i·​ty ˈka-və-tē 

plural cavities

1

: an unfilled space within a mass

especially : a hollowed-out space

2

: an area of decay in a tooth : caries

Synonyms

• hole
• dent
• pit
• concavity

Examples of cavity in a Sentence

Some birds nest in tree cavities.

I had two cavities filled at the dentist's.

Recent Examples on the Web

Yes, dental cavities are common. —Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025

Pregnant people suffer from kidney stones, appendicitis or dental cavities that require root canal, just like people who are not pregnant. —Tami S. Rowen, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025

She’s required to strip down, go through a cavity search and be aggressively physically handled by the guards. —Jennifer Maas, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025

Don a jacket like this fall-friendly Levi's one with a lot of deep, big pockets and store toiletries and even small cameras in the various cavities. —Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 29 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French cavité, borrowed from Late Latin cavitāt-, cavitās, from Latin cavus "hollow, concave" + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at hole entry 1

First Known Use

1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cavity

• abdominal cavity
• body cavity
• pelvic cavity
• segmentation cavity
• spinal cavity
• thoracic cavity

Rhymes for cavity

• gravity
• concavity
• depravity
• intracavity
• microgravity
• supergravity

Kids Definition

cavity

noun

cav·​i·​ty ˈkav-ət-ē 

plural cavities

1

: a hollow place

especially : an unfilled bodily space

lung cavity

2

: a hole hollowed out in a tooth by decay

Medical Definition

cavity

noun

cav·​i·​ty ˈkav-ət-ē 

plural cavities

1

: an unfilled space within a mass

2

: an area of decay in a tooth : caries