WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ex•ca•va•tion
(eks′kə vā′shən),USA pronunciation n.
ex′ca•va′tion•al, adj.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- Civil Engineeringa hole or cavity made by excavating.
- Civil Engineeringthe act of excavating.
- Archaeologyan area in which excavating has been done or is in progress, as an archaeological site.
- Latin excavātiōn- (stem of excavātiō) a hollowing. See excavate, -ion
- 1605–15
- 1. See hole.
ex•ca•vate /ˈɛkskəˌveɪt/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object], -vat•ed, -vat•ing.
ex•ca•va•tor, n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Civil Engineeringto make hollow; make a hole or cavity in: The ground was excavated for a foundation.
- Civil Engineeringto make (a hole, tunnel, etc.) by removing material.
- to expose or lay bare by or as if by digging;
unearth:The archaeologist excavated the ruins of ancient Troy.
ex•ca•va•tor, n. [countable]
ex•ca•vate
(eks′kə vāt′),USA pronunciation v.t., -vat•ed, -vat•ing.
- Civil Engineeringto make hollow by removing the inner part;
make a hole or cavity in;
form into a hollow, as by digging:The ground was excavated for a foundation. - Civil Engineeringto make (a hole, tunnel, etc.) by removing material.
- Civil Engineeringto dig or scoop out (earth, sand, etc.).
- to expose or lay bare by or as if by digging;
unearth:to excavate an ancient city.
- Latin excavātus (past participle of excavāre to hollow out), equivalent. to ex- ex-1 + cav(um) hollow, cave + -ātus -ate1
- 1590–1600
'excavation' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
baulk
- cutting
- dig
- digger
- dugout
- earthwork
- Herculaneum
- pit
- Pompeii
- quarry
- spoil
- stope
- tank
- about
- artifact
- backfill
- boil
- bur
- cross-lot bracing
- diggings
- ditch
- face
- fluorine dating
- grave
- ground
- gullet
- heading
- hole
- igloo
- lag
- lagging
- marine archaeology
- mine
- neat line
- open-cut
- open-pit
- prospect
- retaining wall
- tomb
- trench
- undermine
- wale
- wellpoint
- sheet pile
- site catchment analysis
- stratum