/ keɪv; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
a large hole in the side of a hill or under the ground :
the mouth (= the entrance) of the cave
a cave-dweller (= a person who lives in a cave )
■ verb
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PHRASAL VERBS
- cave in (on sb/sth)
- cave in (to sth)
—see also caving
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French , from Latin cava , from cavus hollow (compare with cavern ). The usage cave in may be from the synonymous dialect expression calve in , influenced by obsolete cave excavate, hollow out .