Cave /(kāv)/

Cave

n.
  1. A hollow place in the earth, either natural or artificial; a subterraneous cavity; a cavern; a den.
  2. Any hollow place, or part; a cavity. [Obs.]
  3. A coalition or group of seceders from a political party, as from the Liberal party in England in 1866. See Adullam, Cave of, in the Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction. (Eng. Politics)

Phrases & Compounds
Cave bear
a very large fossil bear (Ursus spelæus) similar to the grizzly bear, but large; common in European caves.
Cave dweller
a savage of prehistoric times whose dwelling place was a cave.
Cave hyena
a fossil hyena found abundanty in British caves, now usually regarded as a large variety of the living African spotted hyena.
Cave lion
a fossil lion found in the caves of Europe, believed to be a large variety of the African lion.
Bone cave
See under Bone.

Cave

v. t.

imp. & p. p. Caved; p. pr. & vb. n. Caving

  1. To make hollow; to scoop out. [Obs.]
    The mouldred earth cav'd the banke.

Cave

v. i.
  1. To dwell in a cave. [Obs.]
  2. To fall in or down; as, the sand bank caved. Hence (Slang), to retreat from a position; to give way; to yield in a disputed matter. (Slang)

Phrases & Compounds
To cave in
To fall in and leave a hollow, as earth on the side of a well or pit.