cave

1 of 3

noun

ˈkāv 

plural caves

1

: a natural chamber or series of chambers in the earth or in the side of a hill or cliff

2

: a usually underground chamber for storage

a wine cave

also : the articles stored there

3

: a place providing privacy or seclusion from others

When a friend dragged her out of her cave to go salsa dancing for the first time, the rhythms … stepped into her soul …

—Leslie Guttman

see also man cave

cave

2 of 3

verb (1)

caved; caving

transitive verb

: to form a cave in or under

intransitive verb

: to explore caves especially as a sport or hobby

caver

ˈkā-vər 

noun

cave

3 of 3

verb (2)

ˈkāv 

caved; caving

intransitive verb

1

: to fall in or down especially from being undermined

—usually used with in

2

: to cease to resist : submit

—usually used with in

transitive verb

: to cause to fall or collapse

—usually used with in

Synonyms

Noun

• antre
• cavern
• delve [archaic]
• grot
• grotto

Verb (2)

• buckle
• collapse
• crumple
• founder
• give
• go
• go out
• implode
• tumble
• yield

Examples of cave in a Sentence

Noun

Kentucky's Mammoth Cave is actually a series of large chambers on five levels.

Verb (2)

the wall caved in when a tree fell on it

I caved in to my bibliomania and bought two more books last week

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There are desert badlands, frosty tundra, underwater temples, shipwrecks, lush caves teeming with life, and much more. —Issy Van Der Velde, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2025

But the Danes cave at Lansing’s chilling suggestion. —Michael Loria, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025

Verb

Pilate did not cave to hostile crowds indiscriminately, or do whatever the chief priests wanted. —Nathanael Andrade, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2025

Since Navarro referenced the VAT tax several times and said non-tariff barriers were the most important issues, don’t look for Europe to cave on this anytime soon. —Mike Patton, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin cava, noun derivative from feminine of cavus "hollow, concave" — more at hole entry 1

Verb (1)

Middle English caven, in part derivative of cave cave entry 1, in part borrowed from Latin cavāre "to hollow out" — more at excavate

Verb (2)

probably alteration of calve

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Verb (2)

1513, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing cave

• cave bear
• cave dweller
• cave-in
• cave painting
• man cave

Rhymes for cave

• brave
• clave
• crave
• fave
• gave
• grave
• knave
• lave
• nave
• pave
• rave
• shave

Kids Definition

cave

1 of 2 noun

ˈkāv 

: a natural underground chamber or series of chambers open to the surface

cave

2 of 2 verb

caved; caving

: to fall or cause to fall in or down : collapse

—usually used with in