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cavity

noun
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cav·​i·​ty | \ ˈka-və-tē How to pronounce cavity (audio) \
plural cavities

Definition of cavity

1 : an unfilled space within a mass especially : a hollowed-out space
2 : an area of decay in a tooth : caries
Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about cavity

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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 Screening for cavities to prevent more serious dental disease works well. — David Finkelhor, The Conversation, "How universal childhood trauma screenings could backfire," 21 Nov. 2019 When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove turkey from brine and rinse outside and cavity with cold water. — Anna Thomas Bates, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Roast a turkey or dare to try another holiday bird this Thanksgiving," 21 Nov. 2019 Starting at neck cavity, loosen the skin with the breast using your fingers at first. — Susan Selasky, Twin Cities, "A tried-and-true method for achieving the perfect Thanksgiving turkey," 16 Nov. 2019 Remove all the turkey packaging and the giblets, neck, etc. from the neck and cavity. — oregonlive, "Thanksgiving turkey: How much to buy, how long to thaw, how to roast," 15 Nov. 2019 That bristling structure, the researchers showed, created cavities of an ideal size and shape for trapping light. — Natalie Angier, New York Times, "Ultra-Black Is the New Black," 11 Nov. 2019 In Sweden in the 1930s, studies found even 3-year-old children had cavities in 83% of their teeth. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN, "The Swedish cavity experiments: How dentists rotted the teeth of kids with mental handicaps to study candy's effect," 30 Oct. 2019 Stuff half of onions and 6 sprigs sage into main cavityTie legs together with kitchen twine. — The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Herb-Roasted Turkey," 29 Oct. 2019 Once these cavities had been cleaned out, bricklayers infilled and repointed the walls. — Jacques Kelly, baltimoresun.com, "To rebuild East Baltimore’s Hoen plant, workers had to remove the trees," 5 Oct. 2019

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

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First Known Use of cavity

1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for cavity

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

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Time Traveler for cavity

Time Traveler

The first known use of cavity was in 1541

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Statistics for cavity

Last Updated

1 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Cavity.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cavities. Accessed 14 December 2019.

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More Definitions for cavity

cavity

noun
How to pronounce cavity (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of cavity

: a hole or space inside something
: a hole formed in a tooth by decay

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

cavity

noun
cav·​i·​ty | \ ˈka-və-tē How to pronounce cavity (audio) \
plural cavities

Kids Definition of cavity

1 : a small hole formed in a tooth by decay
2 : a hollow place The explosion left a cavity in the ground.

cavity

noun
cav·​i·​ty | \ ˈkav-ət-ē How to pronounce cavity (audio) \
plural cavities

Medical Definition of cavity

1 : an unfilled space within a mass
2 : an area of decay in a tooth : caries

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More from Merriam-Webster on cavity

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cavity

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with cavity

Spanish Central: Translation of cavity

Nglish: Translation of cavity for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of cavity for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cavity

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