cave

cave — noun

1. a natural hollow space found in rock, such as inside a mountain or cliff, or any

1.nounB1
Definition

a natural hollow space found in rock, such as inside a mountain or cliff, or any similar space located below the ground

Example

The children found a shallow cave behind the waterfall.

noun with location preposition: cave behind + noun

Scientists discovered a huge cave beneath the desert floor.

collocation: discover a cave

Common collocations
  • deep cave
  • dark cave
  • underground cave
  • limestone cave
  • explore a cave
  • enter a cave
  • the mouth of the cave
Synonyms
  • cavern

    a large, dramatic cave, often with connecting chambers; more literary

  • grotto

    a small, picturesque cave, often by the sea or decorated with natural rock formations

  • hollow

    a general term for any empty space inside something, not necessarily natural rock

Common Mistakes

We explored a cave in the city wall.
We explored a cave in the cliff face.
A cave is a natural hollow in rock or underground, not a man-made hole in a wall.
Idioms

cave man

idiom

an ancient human who lived in caves; also used informally to describe a man with very old-fashioned or rough manners

The museum exhibition shows how cave men made tools from stone.

My uncle is a bit of a cave man when it comes to using a smartphone.

cave — verb

Word family

  • cavern
    nounB2
  • cavernous
    adjectiveC1
  • cavity
    nounB2
  • caving
    nounC1
  • caver
    nounC1
  • excavate
    verbC1
  • excavation
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four expressions describe agreeing to something after initial resistance, but they differ in intensity and context. 'Cave in' is the most emphatic — it implies strong external pressure and a reluctant surrender, often after holding out for some time. 'Give in' is the most neutral and versatile; it works for small everyday compromises as well as serious negotiations. 'Yield' is more formal and often appears in legal, political, or military contexts. 'Back down' focuses on withdrawing a stated position rather than agreeing to a demand — you back down from a conflict, but you cave in to someone else's demand. For example, a union might cave in to management's terms, while a politician backs down from a controversial proposal. In sports, a player caves under pressure; in a debate, one side yields to the other's argument.

cave in ↗give in ↗yield ↗back down

Common collocations

Nouns

  • cave entrance
  • cave wall
  • cave floor
  • cave system
  • cave painting

Adverbs

  • eventually cave in
  • finally cave
  • quickly cave
  • always cave

Phrases

  • cave in to pressure
  • cave in to demands
  • cave under the strain

Prepositions

  • cave in to
  • cave under

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word comes from Latin 'cavus' meaning 'hollow', which also gave us 'cavern' and 'cavity'. It entered Old French as 'cave', then came into Middle English around the 13th century. The verb meaning 'to give in' developed in the 19th century from the image of a hollow roof or wall collapsing inward under pressure — giving way physically became a metaphor for giving way under argument or demand.