Cavity
/ˈkævɪti/
nounBeginner📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning2 questions
Definitions
1
A hollow or empty space within a solid object or the body.
/ˈkævɪti/
nounneutralBeginner
General
A hollow space within a solid object or the body.
There was a small cavity in the rock.
💡 Simply: An empty space inside something.
👶 For kids: It's like a hole inside something.
More Examples
2
The dentist repaired the cavity in my molar.
How It's Used
Medical
"The dentist filled the cavity in my tooth."
Physics
"The resonator has a large internal cavity."
From Middle English <i>cavite</i>, from Late Latin <i>cavitās</i>, from Latin <i>cavus</i> "hollow, concave".
The word has been used in its current medical sense since at least the 17th century.
Memory tip
Think of a cave—a cavity is like a small, hollow cave.
Word Origin
Original meaning
"hollow"
Base: cavity
dental cavitybody cavityresonant cavity
Common misspellings
caviticavatycavety
Practice
Usage
30%Spoken
70%Written