Definition

A process of digging or removing earth to create a hole or cavity in the ground.

Example

The excavation revealed ancient artifacts buried beneath the soil.

Conversation

Did you hear about the new excavation site downtown?

Yeah, I read they found some old artifacts there!

I wonder what else they'll discover during the excavation.

I hope they share more about it; it sounds really interesting!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Excavation → It is formed from "ex-" (meaning out of) and "cavare" (meaning to hollow or dig). The word "excavation" refers to the process of digging out or hollowing out a space.

Memory Tip

Think of digging "out of" something ('ex-') to create a hollow space ('cavare') — that's what excavation means.

Visually Confused Words