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Added 9 October 2026

hollow

/ˈhɒləʊ/ noun

In Latin: cassus, cavus, inanis Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about hollow at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A small valley between mountains.
He built himself a cabin in a hollow high up in the Rockies.
A sunken area on a surface.
He held the chick in the hollow of his hand.
An unfilled space in something solid; a cavity, natural or artificial.
a hollow in a tree trunk

verb

to make a hole in something; to excavate

adjective

Having an empty space or cavity inside.
a hollow tree; a hollow sphere
Distant, eerie; echoing, reverberating, as if in a hollow space; dull, muffled; often low-pitched.
He let out a hollow moan.
Without substance; having no real or significant worth; meaningless.
a hollow victory

adverb

Completely, as part of the phrase beat hollow or beat all hollow.

Origin

From Middle English holow, holowe, holwe, holwȝ, holgh, from Old English holh (“a hollow”), from Proto-West Germanic *holh, from Proto-Germanic *hulwiją, from Proto-Germanic *hulaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to cover, hide”). Cognate with Old High German huliwa and hulwa, Middle High German hülwe. Related to hole.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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