CAVE • E-FREE TRANSLATION.COM • Definition of Cave

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/keɪv/ Listen

noun

Cave n.

1.

A hollow place in the earth, either natural or artificial; a subterraneous cavity; a cavern; a den.

2.

Any hollow place, or part; a cavity. (Obs.) "The cave of the ear."

3.

(Eng. Politics) A coalition or group of seceders from a political party, as from the Liberal party in England in 1866.

Cave bear (Zool.), a very large fossil bear (Ursus spelaeus) similar to the grizzly bear, but large; common in European caves.

Cave dweller, a savage of prehistoric times whose dwelling place was a cave.

Cave hyena (Zool.), a fossil hyena found abundanty in British caves, now usually regarded as a large variety of the living African spotted hyena.

Cave lion (Zool.), a fossil lion found in the caves of Europe, believed to be a large variety of the African lion.

Bone cave. See under Bone.

verb

Cave v. t. (past & past part. caved; pres. part. caving) To make hollow; to scoop out. (Obs.) "The mouldred earth cav'd the banke."

Cave v. i.

1.

To dwell in a cave. (Obs.)

2.

To fall in or down; as, the sand bank caved. Hence (Slang), to retreat from a position; to give way; to yield in a disputed matter.

To cave in.

(a)

To fall in and leave a hollow, as earth on the side of a well or pit.

(b)

To submit; to yield. (Slang)

See images of 'Cave'

Etymology of 'Cave'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Cave" Quotes from Famous Books

... seemed to come on and on, till without hesitation on anyone's part we turned and ran splashing out of the stream to the shore, to escape from a dark rushing cloud which came streaming out of the mouth of the cave with screams, hisses, and whisperings, out and away down the narrow ravine till it seemed to be filled with birds and bats, while a strange ...

— Through Forest and Stream - The Quest of the Quetzal • George Manville Fenn

... do," said Rock. "We'll dig a cave over here, and we'll pretend a company of bandits live in it, and they will capture one of your dolls. Then we will go to ...

— A Sweet Little Maid • Amy E. Blanchard

... and some another; the nude, depilated devil bounding and casting darts against the Wicket Gate; the scroll of flying horrors that hang over Christian by the Mouth of Hell; the horned shade that comes behind him whispering blasphemies; the daylight breaking through that rent cave-mouth of the mountains and falling chill adown the haunted tunnel; Christian's further progress along the causeway, between the two black pools, where, at every yard or two, a gin, a pitfall, or a snare awaits the passer-by—loathsome white devilkins harbouring close under the bank to work ...

— Lay Morals • Robert Louis Stevenson

... had occurred, as she was at that moment handing up a musket, and springing up, carried him down into their cave. The dreadful thought came across me that the arrows were poisoned. I could not, however, leave my post to inquire. His fate might be that of any one of us the next instant. I could only wish that all were as prepared to meet death as I knew he was. Directly afterwards ...

— In the Eastern Seas • W.H.G. Kingston

... to pass through a narrow ravine with precipitous cliffs on either side. Here they were suddenly attacked by the enemy in great force from the cliffs above. Soon the enemy closed the end of the pass, and retreat or advance was equally impossible. For a time shelter was found in a cave, and an attempt was made to rush out of the defile in the night; but the enemy were found on the alert, and though the rifle fire could be faced, it was impossible to pass several stone shoots which were in the possession of the enemy, who could annihilate with avalanches of rocks any troops ...

— Our Soldiers - Gallant Deeds of the British Army during Victoria's Reign • W.H.G. Kingston

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