excavation

Meaning

1. (uncountable) The act of excavating, or of making hollow, by cutting, scooping, or digging out a part of a solid mass.
2. (countable, uncountable) The act of excavating, or of making hollow, by cutting, scooping, or digging out a part of a solid mass.
3. (countable) A cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping.
4. (countable) An uncovered cutting in the earth, in distinction from a covered cutting or tunnel.
5. (countable) The material dug out in making a channel or cavity.
6. (uncountable) Archaeological research that unearths buildings, tombs and objects of historical value.
7. (countable) A site where an archaeological exploration is being carried out.
8. (countable) Something uncovered by archaeological excavation.
9. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) The act of discovering and exposing or developing (a quality).

Synonyms

digging

dig

hole

🕳️

pit

cutting

cavity

mining

extraction

earthworks

exhumation

depression

archeological site

dishing

excavate

excavating

exploitation

falling

fossa

fosse

frame

groove

indentation

mine

output

pitting

pothole

production

prying

quarry

quarrying

rim

rub

sag

scoop

scouring

scrutiny

site

socket

subside

tunnel

unearthing

valley

workings

yield

sunken road

inquiry into

enquiry into

opencut

digging into

exc

Translations

excavación

Ausgrabung

scavo

excavation

excavació

Aushub

εκσκαφή

fouille

escavazione

escavação

Baugrube

Abgrabung

ανασκαφή

Ausschachtung

Grabung

Etymology

From Latin excavātiō (“a hollowing out”), from excavō (“I hollow out”), from ex + cavō (“I hollow out”), from cavus (“hollow”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱewh₁- (“vault, hole”).

Sentences

The excavation has discovered three complete settlement layers from the Persian period .