excavate

English

Etymology 1

Known since 1599, from Latin excavātus (“hollowed out”), perfect passive participle of excavō (“hollow out”), from ex (“out”) + cavō (“make a hole”), from cavus (“cave, hole”).

Verb

excavate (third-person singular simple present excavates, present participle excavating, simple past and past participle excavated)

  1. (transitive) To make a hole in (something); to hollow.
  2. (transitive) To remove part of (something) by scooping or digging it out.
  3. (transitive) To uncover (something) by digging.
Translations
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Etymology 2

Noun

excavate (plural excavates)

  1. (zoology) Any member of a major grouping of unicellular eukaryotes, of the clade Excavata.

References

  • “excavate” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2018.

Latin

Verb

excavāte

  1. second-person plural present active imperative of excavō
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