cave

noun caves

1. A large, naturally-occurring cavity formed underground or in the face of a cliff or a hillside. We found a cave on the mountainside where we could take shelter.
2. A hole, depression, or gap in earth or rock, whether natural or man-made. Every boy at one time or another has dug a cave; I suppose because ages and ages ago his ancestors had to live in caves, […]
3. A storage cellar, especially for wine or cheese. This wine has been aged in our cave for thirty years.
4. A place of retreat, such as a man cave. My room was a cozy cave where I could escape from my family.
5. A naturally-occurring cavity in bedrock which is large enough to be entered by an adult. It was not strictly a cave, but a narrow fissure in the rock.
6. A shielded area where nuclear experiments can be carried out. These potential radiation fields or radioactive material levels may be the result of normal operations (ie, radiation in a target cave) […]
7. uncountable Debris, particularly broken rock, which falls into a drill hole and interferes with drilling. […] the casing can then be placed in the hole without encountering any cave and core drilling in rock can begin.
8. A collapse or cave-in. The "breasts" of marble which unite the opposite lateral walls have been left standing in order to prevent a possible cave of the wall on either side.
9. also, figuratively, slang The vagina. Then without a word she lay on her back in the bed, her dark blond pubic hair rising about her dark wet cave like dried brush about a hidden spring.
10. slang A group that breaks from a larger political party or faction on a particular issue. Without joining the cave, Hyde had abstained both in December 1956 and May 1957.
11. obsolete Any hollow place, or part; a cavity. the cave of the ear
12. A code cave. Once a code cave is created, you can execute it using either thread injection or thread hijacking. […] Additionally, you'd need to make sure that the cave properly cleans the stack.

Similar: earthhole

verb caves · caving · caved

1. figuratively To surrender. He caved under pressure.
2. To collapse. First the braces buckled, then the roof began to cave, then we ran.
3. To hollow out or undermine. The levee has been severely caved by the river current.
4. To engage in the recreational exploration of caves. Pam has been caving for 25 years. She and her husband Tim are among the top cavers in the country. They are passionate about the world hidden beneath our feet and they were to be my instructors and guides on my first ever foray below ground that didn't involve getting on the tube.

   Similar: spelunk

5. In room-and-pillar mining, to extract a deposit of rock by breaking down a pillar which had been holding it in place. The deposit is caved by knocking out the posts.
6. obsolete To work over tailings to dress small pieces of marketable ore. As an indication of the miners' desperation in these years, the free miners of Wensley lowered themselves to caving for scraps of ore.
7. obsolete To dwell in a cave. although perhaps / It may be heard at court that such as we / Cave here, hunt here, are outlaws, and in time / May make some stronger head

interjection

1. UK look out!; beware! Ssh! Cave! Mum's the word! Not 'arf, or what?

   Similar: heads up, look out, watch it

proper noun

1. The 18th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an.
2. A surname.
3. A town and comune in Lazio, Italy.
4. A township in Franklin County, Illinois, United States.
5. A village in Lincoln County, Missouri, United States.
6. An unincorporated community in Pendleton County, West Virginia, United States.
7. A settlement in Timaru district, Canterbury, New Zealand.

noun

1. abbreviation, acronym, uncountable Acronym of citizens against virtually everything; people who oppose the construction of any type of structure. The Glenbrook Community Center is in disrepair and has been closed for a number of years, which means it is the exact kind of dilapidated and blighted building CAVE People will do everything to protect.