excavate
EK-skuh-vayt
/ˈek.skə.veɪt/
To make a hole or channel by digging; to carefully remove earth from an area in order to find buried remains.
Implies a systematic, careful process, especially in archaeology.
The story behind the word. The word literally means 'to make a hollow out of something.' It shares a root with 'cave' and 'cavity'.
Word relationships
- unearth: Unearth is more general and can be used for secrets; excavate is specifically about digging.
- dig up: Dig up is the informal version of excavate.
- bury: To put something under the ground.
- fill: To put dirt back into a hole.
Commonly confused with
- exhume: Exhume is specifically for digging up a body.
Word family
- excavation (noun): The action of excavating.
- excavator (noun): A person or machine that excavates.
Collocations
- excavate a site
- excavate ruins
- carefully excavate
- excavate for a basement
Example sentences
- "Archaeologists began to excavate the site in hopes of finding the lost city's foundations." Archaeology.
- "The construction crew had to excavate a deep trench for the new sewer pipes." Construction.
Memory hook
You make a 'Cave' when you 'Ex-cavate'. Digging out the past.
When not to use
Don't use for a dog digging a hole for a bone; use it for professional or large-scale digging.
Fun facts
- The largest man-made excavation in the world is the Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah, which is over 0.75 miles deep.
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