excavate

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verb ex·ca·vate \ ˈek-skə-ˌvāt \

Definition of excavate

excavated; excavating

transitive verb

1 :to form a cavity or hole in

2 :to form by hollowing out

3 :to dig out and remove

4 :to expose to view by or as if by digging away a covering

excavate the remains of a temple

intransitive verb

:to make excavations

See excavate defined for English-language learners

See excavate defined for kids

Examples of excavate in a Sentence

They excavated an ancient city.
It is the first site to be excavated in this area.
They began excavating the backyard for their new pool.
The excess dirt was carefully excavated.

Recent Examples of excavate from the Web

After the current owner hand-excavated the site, the building was reconstructed using the original stones.

— elizabeth finkelstein, Country Living, "This is the Stone Farmhouse We've Been Waiting Our Whole Lives to Buy," 24 Aug. 2017
Just one of the burial mounds has been partially excavated.

— jeanne houck, Cincinnati.com, "Mountain bikers damage Mariemont Native American burial mounds," 24 July 2017
Archaeologists have been excavating the Hittite city of Karkemish along the border of Turkey and Syria for seven years now, unearthing all types of artifacts and ceramics.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "World’s Oldest Smiley Face May Decorate a Hittite Jug," 24 July 2017
Teams from Marquette University have excavated a nearby red ocher mound containing the skeleton of a young girl, her bones smeared with the natural earth pigment.

— david hammond, chicagotribune.com, "Lost cities of the Midwest: A trek back to pre-Columbian times," 21 July 2017
The decision was made not to excavate a deeper layer of coal, and the last lode was mined as winter thawed to spring in 1998.

— brandon presser, Bloomberg.com, "Explore Pyramiden: The Forgotten City at the End of the World," 19 July 2017
Clarkson had long wanted to re-excavate Madjedbebe to resolve the controversy.

— ann gibbons, Science | AAAS, "A find in Australia hints at very early human exit from Africa," 19 July 2017
Mark Potash, whose son Mark Sturgis, 22, was killed, said Mr. Weintraub came to the family members, who for days had stood vigil while investigators, aided by cadaver-sniffing dogs, excavated a burial pit at a farm in Solebury Township.

— trip gabriel and alan blinder, New York Times, "After Grisly Killings in Pennsylvania, a Quick Deal to Spare Execution," 17 July 2017
Sakiagak turned to digging out the igloo’s interior, leaving a platform at the original level of the surface while excavating the rest.

— craig s. smith, The Seattle Times, "Making igloos: a vanishing art in the Arctic," 7 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of excavate

Latin excavatus, past participle of excavare, from ex- + cavare to make hollow — more at cavatina

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First Known Use: 1599

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excavate Synonyms

Synonyms

dig, shovel

Related Words

dredge; burrow, claw, grub; dig in; scoop, spade; delve; mine, quarry

Near Antonyms

fill (in); smooth (out or over)

Other Mining and Drilling Terms

ore, trepan, wildcat

EXCAVATE Defined for English Language Learners

excavate

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verb

Definition of excavate for English Language Learners

: to uncover (something) by digging away and removing the earth that covers it
: to dig a large hole in (something)
: to form (a hole, tunnel, etc.) by digging

EXCAVATE Defined for Kids

excavate

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verb ex·ca·vate \ ˈek-skə-ˌvāt \

Definition of excavate for Students

excavated; excavating

1 :to expose to view by digging away a covering

They've excavated an ancient city.

2 :to hollow out :form a hole in

Workers excavated the side of a hill.

3 :to make by hollowing out

We must excavate a tunnel.

4 :to dig out and remove

Miners excavate diamonds.

Medical Dictionary

excavate

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verb ex·ca·vate \ ˈek-skə-ˌvāt \

medical Definition of excavate

excavated; excavating

transitive verb

:to form a cavity or hole in

an excavated wisdom tooth

intransitive verb

:to make excavations or become hollowed out

an area of infarction in soft tissue often tends to excavate

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excavate

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Origin and Etymology of excavate

excavate Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Mining and Drilling Terms

EXCAVATE Defined for English Language Learners

excavate

Definition of excavate for English Language Learners

EXCAVATE Defined for Kids

excavate

Definition of excavate for Students

Medical Dictionary

excavate

medical Definition of excavate

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