Definition of "cave" in Anglais

noun

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.

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. (caving) 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. (nuclear physics) A shielded area where nuclear experiments can be carried out.

7. (drilling, uncountable) Debris, particularly broken rock, which falls into a drill hole and interferes with drilling.

8. (mining) A collapse or cave-in.

9. (figuratively, also slang) The vagina.

10. (slang, politics, often "Cave") A group that breaks from a larger political party or faction on a particular issue.

11. (obsolete) Any hollow place, or part; a cavity.

12. (programming) A code cave.

verb

1. (figurative) 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.

5. (mining) 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. (mining, obsolete) To work over tailings to dress small pieces of marketable ore.

7. (obsolete) To dwell in a cave.

interjection

1. (British, school slang) look out!; beware!