/ ˌekskəˈveɪʃn; NAmE / noun
1.
[ C , U ] the activity of digging in the ground to look for old buildings or objects that have been buried for a long time
2.
[ C , usually pl. ] a place where people are digging to look for old buildings or objects :
The excavations are open to the public.
3.
[ U ] the act of digging, especially with a machine
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WORD ORIGIN
early 17th cent.: from French , or from Latin excavatio(n-) , from excavare hollow out, from ex- out + cavare make or become hollow (from cavus hollow).