cavity

noun

cav·​i·​ty ˈka-və-tē How to pronounce cavity (audio)
plural cavities
1
: an unfilled space within a mass
especially : a hollowed-out space
2
: an area of decay in a tooth : caries

Examples of cavity in a Sentence

Some birds nest in tree cavities. I had two cavities filled at the dentist's.
Recent Examples on the Web The other approach, known as phase modulation, sends laser light into a cavity and then applies radio-frequency signals to control the phase of the light, generating frequency repetitions for use in combs. IEEE Spectrum, 12 Mar. 2024 From the front, the scrap-wood sculpture appears as an elementary outline of a person, punctuated by two circular cavities. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024 Symptoms of bovine tuberculosis in deer Respiratory illness, coughing, nasal discharge, wheezing, fatigue, trouble breathing, emaciation, lethargy, and lesions in chest cavity and/or on lymph nodes. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 29 Feb. 2024 Place the chickens on a sheet pan, then place the lemons in the chicken cavities. Ali Slagle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 As part of the research, Button calculated the species’ sense of smell using anatomical ratios in the brain cavity. Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 The rare condition occurs when the Müllerian ducts don’t fuse together and instead form two uterine cavities, each having a fallopian tube and ovary.1 But having two uteruses, and her case two cervixes as well, didn’t affect Hatcher’s first three pregnancies. Emily Nadal, Parents, 17 Jan. 2024 This time, film students set out to document one aging woman's bout with Alzheimer's, but instead discover something much more sinister lurking in her mental cavities. EW.com, 19 Dec. 2023 These are soft tissue areas that lead directly to the cranial cavity. Craig Caudill, Field & Stream, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cavity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French cavité, borrowed from Late Latin cavitāt-, cavitās, from Latin cavus "hollow, concave" + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at hole entry 1

First Known Use

1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cavity was in 1541

Dictionary Entries Near cavity

Cite this Entry

“Cavity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cavity. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cavity

noun
cav·​i·​ty ˈkav-ət-ē How to pronounce cavity (audio)
plural cavities
1
: a hollow place
especially : an unfilled bodily space
lung cavity
2
: a hole hollowed out in a tooth by decay

Medical Definition

cavity

noun
cav·​i·​ty ˈkav-ət-ē How to pronounce cavity (audio)
plural cavities
1
: an unfilled space within a mass
2
: an area of decay in a tooth : caries

More from Merriam-Webster on cavity

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