excavation

noun

ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce excavation (audio)
1
: the action or process of excavating
2
: a cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping
excavational
ˌek-skə-ˈvā-sh(ə-)nəl
-shə-nᵊl
adjective

Examples of excavation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
He was then buried in a makeshift grave with his body beng found in 2021 after an excavation search. Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 4 Apr. 2025 With further excavations, researchers could uncover a site with more historical layers preserved and examine the archaeological record that predates this find. Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025 The city of Pompeii was buried under ash and volcanic glass when Vesuvius erupted, and archaeologists have been unearthing it since the 1700s, in a large, ongoing excavation. Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025 Such industrial excavations risk wiping out untold (and, indeed, as yet unseen) natural wonders, though delegates of the ISA are unable to reach an agreement as to how to curb or monitor them. Guy Lodge, Variety, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for excavation

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin excavātiōn-, excavātiō, from excavāre "to hollow out, excavate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of excavation was circa 1611

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Excavation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excavation. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

excavation

noun
ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce excavation (audio)
1
: the act or process of excavating
2
: a hollowed-out place formed by excavating

Medical Definition

excavation

noun
ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce excavation (audio)
1
: the action or process of excavating
2
: a cavity formed by or as if by cutting, digging, or scooping
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