excavation

noun

ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən 

1

: the action or process of excavating

2

: a cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping

excavational

ˌek-skə-ˈvā-sh(ə-)nəl

-shə-nᵊl

adjective

Examples of excavation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Vail’s spaghetti-Western instincts are ever present in 100 Cowboys, but beyond the uptempo pop-rock sound is an aching, earnest excavation of love gone wrong. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2024

Bartłomiej Kaczyński, the excavation leader, said the helmet is the first of its kind to be unearthed in Poland and an example of sophisticated Celtic metallurgy. —George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 10 Sep. 2024

The team was led by Thomas Schäfer, an archaeologist at Germany’s University of Tübingen who has been conducting excavations in the area for more than two decades. —Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2024

In the aftermath of the natural disaster, archaeology became a form of recovery and healing for the community, said excavation leader Dr. Murat Akar. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 16 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin excavātiōn-, excavātiō, from excavāre "to hollow out, excavate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

excavation

noun

ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən 

1

: the act or process of excavating

2

: a hollowed-out place formed by excavating

Medical Definition

excavation

noun

ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən 

1

: the action or process of excavating

2

: a cavity formed by or as if by cutting, digging, or scooping