Definition of Excavate

1. Verb. Recover through digging. "Excavate gold"

Exact synonyms: Unearth
Generic synonyms: Bring Out, Reveal, Uncover, Unveil
Specialized synonyms: Dig, Dig Out, Dig Up
Derivative terms: Excavation, Excavation, Excavation

2. Verb. Find by digging in the ground. "I dug up an old box in the garden"
Exact synonyms: Dig Up, Turn Up
Specialized synonyms: Grub Out, Grub Up, Nuzzle, Disinter, Exhume
Generic synonyms: Obtain
Related verbs: Locate, Turn Up
Derivative terms: Excavation, Excavation, Excavation

3. Verb. Form by hollowing. "Excavate a cavity"
Generic synonyms: Core Out, Hollow, Hollow Out
Derivative terms: Excavation, Excavator, Excavator

4. Verb. Remove the inner part or the core of. "They excavate the trees"; "The mining company wants to excavate the hillside"
Exact synonyms: Dig, Hollow
Generic synonyms: Remove, Take, Take Away, Withdraw
Specialized synonyms: Drive, Ditch, Trench
Derivative terms: Dig, Dig, Excavation, Excavation, Hollow

Definition of Excavate

1. v. t. To hollow out; to form cavity or hole in; to make hollow by cutting, scooping, or digging; as, to excavate a ball; to excavate the earth.

Definition of Excavate

1. Verb. (transitive) To make a hole in (something); to hollow. ¹

2. Verb. (transitive) To remove part of (something) by scooping or digging it out. ¹

3. Verb. (transitive) To uncover (something) by removing its covering. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Excavate

1. to dig out [v -VATED, -VATING, -VATES]

Lexicographical Neighbors of Excavate

excantation
excantations
excarnate
excarnated
excarnates
excarnating
excarnation
excarnations
excarnificate
excarnificated
excarnificates
excarnificating
excarnification
excaudate
excavatable
excavate (current term)
excavated
excavates
excavating
excavatio
excavatio disci
excavatio papillae
excavatio rectouterina
excavatio rectovesicalis
excavatio vesicouterina
excavation
excavation of optic disc
excavation unit
excavation units
excavational

Literary usage of Excavate

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Standard Work of Reference in Art, Literature (1907)
"The stones in their movement excavate a hole in the channel, while as they themselves are reduced to sand and mud, or are swept out by the force of the ..."

2. Cyprus: Its Ancient Cities, Tombs, and Temples: A Narrative of Researches by Luigi Palma di Cesnola, Charles William King, Alexander Stuart Murray (1878)
"The French Consul, Mr. T. Colonna Ceccaldi, also applied for and obtained a firman to excavate, but the most serious competitor I had was Mr. Lang, ..."

3. Nippur: Or, Explorations and Adventures on the Euphrates by John Punnett Peters (1897)
"IN behalf of the trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, the United States Legation at Constantinople has applied for permission to excavate for ..."

4. The Geographical Journal by Royal Geographical Society (Great Britain). (1893)
"The Geographical Journal. No. 6. JUNE, 1893. VOL. I. DO GLACIERS excavate ? * By Professor TG BONNEY, D.Sc., LL.D., PRS THE publication of the late Sir A. ..."

5. Nippur Or Explorations A. Adventures on the Euphrates: Narrative of the by John Punnett Peters (1897)
"SIR :—An Expedition under the auspices of the University of Pennsylvania has been organized to excavate some of the ruins of the ancient cities of ..."

6. Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms by Frederic Sturges Allen (1920)
"... osmotic. dig, vt 1. delve (archaic or literary, exc. fig.), grave (rare and archaic), excavate; spec, costean, grub, dike, ditch, mine, spade, root, ..."

7. The Imperial Gazetteer of India by William Wilson Hunter (1886)
"Having completed the exterior, they set to work to excavate the interior, so as to make it resemble a structural building of the same class, leaving only ..."

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