excavation

English

Etymology

From Latin excavatio (“a hollowing out”), from excavare (“to hollow out”), from ex- (out) + cavare (to hollow)< cavus (hollow)< Proto-Indo-European *keu- (“vault, hole”)

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

excavation (countable and uncountable; plural excavations)

1. (uncountable) The act of excavating, or of making hollow, by cutting, scooping, or digging out a part of a solid mass.
2. (countable) A cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping.
3. (countable) An uncovered cutting in the earth, in distinction from a covered cutting or tunnel.
4. (countable) The material dug out in making a channel or cavity.
5. (uncountable) Archaeological research that unearths buildings, tombs and objects of historical value.
6. (countable) A site where an archaeological exploration is being carried out.

Translations

act of excavating, or of making hollow

Bulgarian: изкопаване (bg) n. Dutch: afgraving (nl) f. German: Grabung f., Ausgrabung f. (archaeology) Greek: εκσκαφή (el) (ekskafí) f.

Ido: exkavo (io), exkavado (io) Latin: excavatio (la) f.

cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping

Bulgarian: изкоп (bg) m. Dutch: bouwput (nl) m.

Ido: exkavuro (io)

uncovered cutting in the earth, in distinction from a covered cutting or tunnel

Bulgarian: изкоп (bg) m. German: Ausschachtung f.

Ido: kavajo (io)

material dug out in making a channel or cavity

German: Aushub (de) m.

archaeological excavation

Bulgarian: разкопки (bg) pl. Dutch: opgraving (nl) f. Greek: ανασκαφή (el) (anaskafí) f.

Latin: excavatio (la) f.

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French

Wikipedia ^fr

Noun

excavation f. (plural excavations)

1. excavation