cave

1 of 3

noun

plural caves
1
: a natural chamber or series of chambers in the earth or in the side of a hill or cliff
2
: a usually underground chamber for storage
a wine cave
also : the articles stored there
3
: a place providing privacy or seclusion from others
When a friend dragged her out of her cave to go salsa dancing for the first time, the rhythms … stepped into her soul …Leslie Guttman
see also man cave

cave

2 of 3

verb (1)

caved; caving

transitive verb

: to form a cave in or under

intransitive verb

: to explore caves especially as a sport or hobby
caver noun

cave

3 of 3

verb (2)

caved; caving

intransitive verb

1
: to fall in or down especially from being undermined
usually used with in
2
: to cease to resist : submit
usually used with in

transitive verb

: to cause to fall or collapse
usually used with in

Examples of cave in a Sentence

Noun Kentucky's Mammoth Cave is actually a series of large chambers on five levels.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Walls or even caves don’t provide protection, according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. Brad Lendon, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 Over the centuries, the estate and caves have served as a gathering place for parties and royalty, from Peter the Great and Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands to race-car driver Max Verstappen. Michelle Gross, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2024 Rent a small car or Vespa to zip around the narrow roads, discovering vineyards with volcanic soil, prehistoric villages, and underwater caves along the way. Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 12 Mar. 2024 Some of the top deals include 30 percent off three or more nights at the Coco Reef Hotel, Oxford House, and Grotto Bay Beach Resort which features a unique cave spa and other caves that are open for swimming. Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2024 Three researchers maneuvered through the darkness of an underwater cave in Japan. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 For example, Cro-Magnons were dark skinned and lived in huts, not caves, and had a virtuosity in cave painting which could not be reproduced today, one expert says. John Hopewell, Variety, 26 Feb. 2024 As evidenced by the Palawa oral traditions of the Tasmanian Aboriginals and the Chauvet cave drawings in Southern France, storytelling has been an integral part of our humanity for tens of thousands of years. Brent Dykes, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Outerwear had a cave man hairiness and mini dresses were covered in finger paint swirls. Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024
Verb
Don’t cave to the pressure of low-prices and look for other botanical delights that Costco has to offer. Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 20 Mar. 2024 The snow piled up so thickly on rooftops that when another storm threatened more snow and rain, residents had to scramble to shovel off enough weight to keep their roofs from caving in. Megan Michelson, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Teams eventually will cave to Boras’ demands, right? Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024 While exact changes are still being studied, preservationists were quick to argue the city was caving to developers. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2024 White-nose syndrome, caused by a fungus that started spreading across the U.S. in 2006, can be transferred from cave to cave by hitching a ride on people’s shoes and clothes. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Mar. 2024 My advice to bank regulators is to not cave in to lobbyists. Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The ice caves [in Iceland] vary from season to season. Emily Zemler, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Feb. 2024 But then there was this big crack in the walls and leakage from above us and then the roof started to cave in and the ceiling started to sink. Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin cava, noun derivative from feminine of cavus "hollow, concave" — more at hole entry 1

Verb (1)

Middle English caven, in part derivative of cave cave entry 1, in part borrowed from Latin cavāre "to hollow out" — more at excavate

Verb (2)

probably alteration of calve

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Verb (2)

1513, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cave was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near cave

Cite this Entry

“Cave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cave. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cave

1 of 2 noun
: a natural underground chamber or series of chambers open to the surface

cave

2 of 2 verb
caved; caving
: to fall or cause to fall in or down : collapse
usually used with in

More from Merriam-Webster on cave

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