cavity

noun

cav·​i·​ty ˈka-və-tē 

plural cavities

1

: an unfilled space within a mass

especially : a hollowed-out space

2

: an area of decay in a tooth : caries

Synonyms of cavity

• hole
• dent
• pit
• concavity

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

The nests also serve as sort of warehouses for any additional materials the birds might need to shore up their original nests, and lastly, nesting boxes that appear occupied keep other cavity dwelling birds from moving into the wrens’ territory. —Joan Morris, Mercury News, 4 May 2026

Melanoma in his lung and liver cavity. —Matt Baker, New York Times, 4 May 2026

By introducing only mild restrictions to molecular transport, the inflow of reactants into the hollow cavity can be aligned more effectively with the intrinsic processing rate of the catalyst. —Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 3 May 2026

Slice enough of the remaining jalapeños to get 1 to 2 slices of jalapeno to place in each ice cube cavity. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cavity

• abdominal cavity
• body cavity
• pelvic cavity
• segmentation cavity
• spinal cavity
• thoracic cavity

Rhymes for cavity

• gravity
• concavity
• depravity
• intracavity
• microgravity
• supergravity

Kids Definition

cavity

noun

cav·​i·​ty ˈkav-ət-ē 

plural cavities

1

: a hollow place

especially : an unfilled bodily space

lung cavity

2

: a hole hollowed out in a tooth by decay

Medical Definition

cavity

noun

cav·​i·​ty ˈkav-ət-ē 

plural cavities

1

: an unfilled space within a mass

2

: an area of decay in a tooth : caries