v.
Pronunciation: ' ek-sk ə - ˌ v ā t
Function: verb
Inflected Form: -vat · ed ; -vat · ing
Etymology: Latin excavatus, past participle of excavare, from ex- + cavare to make hollow ― more at CAVATINA
Date: 1599
transitive verb
1 : to form a cavity or hole in
2 : to form by hollowing out
3 : to dig out and remove
4 : to expose to view by or as if by digging away a covering < excavate the remains of a temple>
intransitive verb : to make excavations