excavate

verb

/ˈekskəveɪt/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they excavate	/ˈekskəveɪt/ /ˈekskəveɪt/
he / she / it excavates	/ˈekskəveɪts/ /ˈekskəveɪts/
past simple excavated	/ˈekskəveɪtɪd/ /ˈekskəveɪtɪd/
past participle excavated	/ˈekskəveɪtɪd/ /ˈekskəveɪtɪd/
-ing form excavating	/ˈekskəveɪtɪŋ/ /ˈekskəveɪtɪŋ/

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to dig in the ground to look for old buildings or objects that have been buried for a long time; to find something by digging in this way发掘，挖出（古建筑或古物）
- excavate something The site has been excavated by archaeologists.这个遗址已被考古学家发掘出来。
- The area has not yet been fully excavated.这个地方还没有被充分挖掘。
- excavate something from something pottery and weapons excavated from the burial site从墓地挖掘出的陶器和兵器
Topics Historyc2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- completely
- fully
- extensively
- …
preposition
- from
See full entry
excavate something (formal) to make a hole, etc. in the ground by digging挖掘，开凿，挖空（洞、隧道等）
- The body was discovered when builders excavated the area.建筑工人挖地时发现了这具尸体。
Topics Buildingsc2

Word Originlate 16th cent.: from Latin excavat- ‘hollowed out’, from the verb excavare, from ex- ‘out’ + cavare ‘make or become hollow’ (from cavus ‘hollow’).