cave-in
[ keyv-in ]
/ ˈkeɪvˌɪn /
noun
a collapse, as of anything hollow: the worst cave-in in the history of mining.
a place or site of such a collapse.
submission to something or someone previously opposed or resisted: His cave-in to such unreasonable demands shocked us.
Origin of cave-in
First recorded in 1700–10; noun use of verb phrase
cave in
Words nearby cave-in
cave cricket,
cave dweller,
cave in,
cave man,
cave tubing,
cave-in,
caveat,
caveat emptor,
caveator,
cavefish,
cavel
Definition for cave in (2 of 2)
Origin of cave
1175–1225; Middle English < Old French < Late Latin
cava (feminine singular), Latin
cava, neuter plural of
cavum hole, noun use of neuter of
cavus hollow
OTHER WORDS FROM cave
cave·like, adjectiveBritish Dictionary definitions for cave in (1 of 3)
cave in
verb (intr, adverb)
to collapse; subside
informal
to yield completely, esp under pressure
noun cave-in
the sudden collapse of a roof, piece of ground, etc, into a hollow beneath it; subsidence
the site of such a collapse, as at a mine or tunnel
informal
an instance of yielding completely, esp under pressure
British Dictionary definitions for cave in (2 of 3)
cave
1
/ (keɪv) /
noun
an underground hollow with access from the ground surface or from the sea, often found in limestone areas and on rocky coastlines
(modifier)
living in caves
verb
(tr)
to hollow out
Word Origin for cave
C13: from Old French, from Latin
cava, plural of
cavum cavity, from
cavus hollow
British Dictionary definitions for cave in (3 of 3)
cave
2
/ (ˈkeɪvɪ) British school slang /
noun
guard or lookout (esp in the phrase keep cave)
sentence substitute
watch out!
Word Origin for cave
from Latin
cavē! beware!
Scientific definitions for cave in
cave
[ kāv ]
A naturally occurring underground hollow or passage, especially one with an opening to the surface of the Earth. Caves can form through a variety of processes, including the dissolution of limestone by flowing water, the differential cooling of volcanic magma (which occurs when the outside surface of the lava cools, but the inside continues to flow downwards, forming a hollow tube), or the action of wind and waves along a rocky coast.
Idioms and Phrases with cave in
cave in
Fall in, collapse, as in The earthquake made the walls cave in. [Early 1700s]
Give in, admit defeat, as in The prosecutor's questions soon made the witness cave in. [Early 1800s]
Collapse, faint, or die from exhaustion, as in After a twenty-mile hike I caved in. [Mid-1800s]