Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense excavates, present participle excavating, past tense, past participle excavated
1. verb
When archaeologists or other people excavate a piece of land, they remove earth carefully from it and look for things such as pots, bones, or buildings which are buried there, in order to discover information about the past.
A new Danish expedition is again excavating the site in annual summer digs. [VERB noun]
In time these new excavations will require conservation.
2. verb
To excavate means to dig a hole in the ground, for example in order to build there.
A contractor was hired to drain the reservoir and to excavate soil. [VERB noun]
excavationvariable noun
Our new habitation was an excavation made in the earth.
...the excavation of the canals. [+of]
Synonyms: hole, mine, pit, ditch More Synonyms of excavate
More Synonyms of excavate
excavate in British English
(ˈɛkskəˌveɪt)
verb
1.
to remove (soil, earth, etc) by digging; dig out
2.
to make (a hole, cavity, or tunnel) in (solid matter) by hollowing or removing the centre or inner part
to excavate a tooth
3.
to unearth (buried objects) methodically in an attempt to discover information about the past
Derived forms
excavation (ˌexcaˈvation)
noun
excavational (ˌexcaˈvational)
adjective
Word origin
C16: from Latin excavāre, from cavāre to make hollow, from cavus hollow
excavate in American English
(ˈɛkskəˌveɪt)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈexcaˌvated or ˈexcaˌvating
1.
to make a hole or cavity in, as by digging; hollow out
2.
to form by hollowing out; dig
to excavate a tunnel
3.
to uncover or expose by digging; unearth
to excavate ancient ruins
4.
to dig out (earth, soil, etc.)
verb intransitive
5.
to make an excavation
Word origin
< L excavatus, pp. of excavare < ex-, out + cavare, to make hollow < cavus, hollow: see cave
Examples of 'excavate' in a sentence
excavate
We find them, wrapped in plastic binliners, we excavate their limbs from shallow graves where the foxes have started our work for
Murray, Stephen DEATH AND TRANSFIGURATION (1988)
You have to have a way to excavate the loosened material as you drill.
Scott, Jack A KNIFE BETWEEN THE RIBS (1988)
In other languages
excavate
British English: excavate VERB
When archaeologists or other people excavate a piece of land, they remove earth carefully from it and look for things such as pots, bones, or buildings that are buried there, in order to discover information about the past.
A new expedition is excavating the site in annual summer digs.
American English: excavate
Brazilian Portuguese: escavar
Chinese: 挖掘 >古物
European Spanish: excavar
French: fouiller
German: ausgraben
Italian: scavare
Japanese: 発掘する
Korean: 발굴하다
European Portuguese: escavar
Latin American Spanish: excavar
Chinese translation of 'excavate'
excavate
(ˈɛkskəveɪt)
vt
[archaeologist]发(發)掘 (fājué)
(frm, = dig) 挖掘 (wājué)
1 (verb)
Definition
to make a hole in something by digging into it or hollowing it out
A team of archaeologists is excavating the site.
Synonyms
dig up
mine
not enough coal to be mined economically
dig
Dig a large hole and bang the stake in.
tunnel
The rebels tunnelled out of a maximum security jail.
scoop
cut
hollow
Someone had hollowed out a large block of stone.
trench
burrow
The larvae burrow into cracks in the floor.
quarry
The large limestone caves are also quarried for cement.
delve
He delved into his rucksack and pulled out a folder.
gouge
quarries which have gouged great holes in the hills
2 (verb)
Definition
to unearth (buried objects) methodically to discover information about the past
They have excavated the fossil remains of a prehistoric man.
Synonyms
unearth
Fossil hunters have unearthed the bones of an elephant.
expose
After the scandal was exposed, he moved abroad.
uncover
Auditors said they had uncovered evidence of fraud.
dig out
exhume
His remains have been exhumed from their resting place.
lay bare
bring to light
bring to the surface
disinter
Additional synonyms
in the sense of burrow
Definition
to dig (a tunnel or hole) in, through, or under ground
The larvae burrow into cracks in the floor.
Synonyms
dig,
tunnel,
excavate
in the sense of delve
Definition
to dig
He delved into his rucksack and pulled out a folder.
Synonyms
rummage,
search,
look,
burrow,
ransack,
forage,
dig,
fossick (Australian, New Zealand)
in the sense of dig
Definition
to excavate (a hole or tunnel) by digging, usually with an implement or (of animals) with claws