excavate

verb

ex·​ca·​vate ˈek-skə-ˌvāt 

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

Synonyms

• dig
• shovel

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 on the Web

In the decades that followed, the Illinois State Museum turned the site into a full-fledged museum, excavating more than 800 skeletal remains before constructing the building that stands there today. —Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024

Dinosaur Eggs Buy on Walmart Buy on Wayfair This set comes with 12 dinosaur eggs that your child can excavate themselves. —Maya Polton, Parents, 24 Mar. 2024

Archaeologists recently unearthed the ancient piece of jewelry while excavating the city of Kalmar, according to a Feb. 29 news release from Arkeologerna. —Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024

Some were excavated in the late 1980s, while others were contemporary samples. —Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024

Researchers excavated five unmarked graves at the cemetery in 1999 in an effort to find Samuel Washington’s resting place. —Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024

National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said excavating detailed inspection history information — and what was done in response to any earlier findings — will be a cumbersome and protracted part of the agency’s investigation. —Joel Achenbach, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024

Squiggly synths and guitars coat the undercurrent of the fizzy song, which belies the vulnerability in her lyrics about finding the courage to move past a relationship gone kaput and excavate her inner strength. —USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024

Now, as part of renovations, archaeologists in Kecskemét have excavated an approximately 160-square-foot trench — and unearthed the baby’s grave, along with a trove of other burials. —Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin excavātus, past participle of excavāre "to hollow out, form a hole in," from ex- ex- entry 1 + cavāre "to make hollow, hollow out," verbal derivative of cavus "hollow, concave" — more at hole entry 1

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

excavate

verb

ex·​ca·​vate ˈek-skə-ˌvāt 

excavated; excavating

1

: to hollow out : form a hole in

excavate the side of a hill

2

: to make by hollowing out

excavate a tunnel

3

: to dig out and remove

excavate sand

4

: to uncover by digging away covering earth

excavate an ancient city

excavator

-ˌvāt-ər

noun

Medical Definition

excavate

verb

ex·​ca·​vate ˈek-skə-ˌvāt 

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