excavate

[ˈɛkskəveɪt]

excavate Definition

• 1. to remove earth that is covering very old objects buried in the ground in order to discover things about the past
• 2. to dig a hole or channel in the ground, especially with a machine
• 3. to make a hole or channel in something by removing material

Using excavate: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "excavate" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

• Example

  The archaeologists are excavating an ancient temple.

• Example

  The construction workers excavated a large hole for the foundation.

• Example

  The miners excavated the coal from the mine.

• Example

  The dentist had to excavate the decayed tooth.

excavate Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for excavate

• dig
• unearth
• uncover
• remove
• extract

Antonyms for excavate

• fill
• bury
• cover

Phrases with excavate

• excavate a site

  to dig up and study an area where there may be historical artifacts

  Example

  The team of archaeologists will excavate the site for several months.

• excavate a tunnel

  to dig a tunnel through something

  Example

  The workers had to excavate a tunnel through the mountain.

• excavate a cavity

  to remove decayed material from a tooth

  Example

  The dentist had to excavate a cavity before filling the tooth.

Origins of excavate

from Latin 'excavatus', past participle of 'excavare', meaning 'to hollow out'

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Summary: excavate in Brief

The verb 'excavate' [ˈɛkskəveɪt] means to remove earth to uncover buried objects or to dig a hole or channel in the ground. It can also mean to make a hole or channel in something by removing material. Examples include 'The archaeologists are excavating an ancient temple' and 'The construction workers excavated a large hole for the foundation.'