excavate
UK: ˈɛkskəveɪt | US: ˈɛkskəˌveɪt
vt. to dig or remove earth from the ground
vt. to uncover or reveal something buried or hidden
vt. (archaeology) to carefully extract artifacts from a site
excavate = ex<out> + cav<hollow> + ate<verb suffix>
- ex (Latin origin, meaning "out")
- cav (from Latin cavus, meaning "hollow" or "hole")
- ate (verb-forming suffix indicating action)
Etymology Origin:
The word "excavate" originates from Latin excavare, combining ex- (out) and cavare (to hollow). It originally described the act of hollowing out or digging, later evolving to specifically denote archaeological digging. The morphemes logically progress from "out" + "hollow" + "action," reflecting the physical process of removing earth to reveal hidden spaces or objects.
The team plans to excavate the ancient ruins next summer.
Heavy machinery was used to excavate the foundation for the new building.
Archaeologists must carefully excavate artifacts to avoid damage.
The construction crew accidentally excavated a buried pipeline.
Scientists excavated fossils from the sedimentary rock layers.