cave¹

/kāv/

noun: cave
plural noun: caves

a large underground chamber, typically of natural origin, in a hillside or cliff.

verb: cave
3rd person present: caves
past tense: caved
past participle: caved
gerund or present participle: caving

1. explore caves as a sport.
2. US
   capitulate or submit under pressure; cave in.

Phrases
cave in — (of a roof or similar structure) subside or collapse.

Origin

Middle English: from Old French, from Latin cava, from cavus ‘hollow’ (compare with cavern). The usage cave in may be from the synonymous dialect expression calve in, influenced by obsolete cave ‘excavate, hollow out’.

cave²

/ˈkāvē/
exclamationdated•informal
exclamation: cave

(among children) look out!

Phrases
keep cave — act as lookout.

Latin, imperative of cavere ‘beware’.

#cave