Digs out or removes earth, rock, or other material from the ground; uncovers something by digging.
From Latin 'excavare' (to hollow out), from 'ex-' (out) + 'cavare' (to hollow). The word entered English in the 16th century and became essential for describing archaeological and construction work.
The same Latin root 'cav-' that gives us 'excavate' also appears in 'cave' and 'cavity'—basically, all the words about making holes! Archaeologists literally dig into the earth to dig into history.
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