/kav"euhrn/ , n.
1. a cave, esp. one that is large and mostly underground.
2. Pathol. a cavity that is produced by disease, esp. one produced in the lungs by tuberculosis.
v.t.
3. to enclose in or as if in a cavern.
4. to hollow out to form a cavern.
[ 1325-75; ME caverne caverna, equiv. to cav ( us ) hollow + -erna, as in cisterna CISTERN ]