Join free

hollow

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

hollow¹

  • /ˈhɒləʊ/ UK
  • /ˈhɒlə/ Northumbria
  • /ˈhɔlo/ Scotland
  • /ˈhɒlou/ Wales
  • /ˈhɑloʊ/ US
  • /ˈhɑlɚ/ Appalachia, Southern US

Rhymes with -ɒləʊ

Where it comes from

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.

noun hollows · hallow · holler

  1. A small valley between mountains. He built himself a cabin in a hollow high up in the Rockies.
  2. A sunken area on a surface. He held the chick in the hollow of his hand.
  3. An unfilled space in something solid; a cavity, natural or artificial. a hollow in a tree trunk
  4. figuratively A feeling of emptiness. a hollow in the pit of one’s stomach

verb hollows · hollowing · hollowed · hallow · holler

  1. transitive to make a hole in something; to excavate

hollow²

  • /ˈhɒləʊ/ UK
  • /ˈhɒlə/ Northumbria
  • /ˈhɔlo/ Scotland
  • /ˈhɒlou/ Wales
  • /ˈhɑloʊ/ US
  • /ˈhɑlɚ/ Appalachia, Southern US

Rhymes with -ɒləʊ

Where it comes from

From Middle English holowe, holwe, holuȝ, holgh, from the noun (see above).

adjective hollower · hollowest · hallow · holler

  1. Having an empty space or cavity inside. a hollow tree; a hollow sphere
  2. Distant, eerie; echoing, reverberating, as if in a hollow space; dull, muffled; often low-pitched. He let out a hollow moan.
  3. figuratively Without substance; having no real or significant worth; meaningless. a hollow victory
  4. figuratively Insincere, devoid of validity; specious. a hollow promise
  5. Concave; gaunt; sunken. To view with hollow eye and wrinkled brow
  6. Pertaining to hollow body position
  7. Synonym of empty (“lacking between the onset of tasting and the finish”). While most 1974s remain hard, tannic, hollow wines lacking ripeness, flesh, and character, a number of the Graves estates did produce surprisingly spicy, interesting wines.

adverb hallow · holler

  1. colloquial, not comparable Completely, as part of the phrase beat hollow or beat all hollow.

hollow³

  • /ˈhɒləʊ/ UK
  • /ˈhɒlə/ Northumbria
  • /ˈhɔlo/ Scotland
  • /ˈhɒlou/ Wales
  • /ˈhɑloʊ/ US
  • /ˈhɑlɚ/ Appalachia, Southern US

Rhymes with -ɒləʊ

Where it comes from

Compare holler.

verb hollows · hollowing · hollowed · hallow · holler

  1. To call or urge by shouting; to hollo. [T]he Converſation (if it may be called ſo) was ſeldom ſuch as could entertain a Lady. It conſiſted chiefly of Hollowing, Singing, Relations of ſporting Adventures, B—d—y, and Abuſe of Women and of the Government.

interjection hallow · holler

  1. alternative Alternative form of hollo.hollo

Talk about this word