Added 9 October 2026
cave
/keɪv/ noun
In Latin: caverna, spēlunca, specus Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about cave at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea.
verb
Origin
From Middle English cave, borrowed from Old French cave, from Latin cava (“cavity”), from cavus (“hollow”). Cognate with Tocharian B kor (“throat”), Albanian cup (“odd, uneven”), Ancient Greek κύαρ (kúar, “eye of needle, earhole”), Old Armenian սոր (sor, “hole”), Sanskrit शून्य (śūnya, “empty, barren, zero”). Displaced native Old English sċræf. More at cavum, cavus and cage.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)