cavity

[kav-i-tee] /ˈkæv ɪ ti/
noun, plural cavities.
1.
any hollow place; hollow.
2.
Anatomy. a hollow space within the body, an organ, a bone, etc.
3.
a hollow space or a pit in a tooth, most commonly produced by caries. A cavity may be artificially made to support dental restorations.
Origin
1535-45; < Middle French cavite < Late Latin cavitās hollowness, equivalent to Latin cav(us) hollow + -itās -ity
Related forms
cavitied, adjective
subcavity, noun, plural subcavities.
uncavitied, adjective
Synonyms
1. See hole.
Examples from the web for cavity
  • They then filled the spinal cavity around the injured area with blocks of hydrogel laced with stem cells from rat bone marrow.
  • X-rays may be taken yearly to detect possible cavity development in high risk areas of the mouth.
  • From there, the surgeon cuts a hole in the stomach wall to enter the abdominal cavity and perform the operation.
  • Mated pairs migrate to and breed in the northern parts of their range and build nests on the ground or in a protected cavity.
  • The evacuated cavity is left empty, filling with cerebrospinal fluid in a day or so.
  • The study is about what was inside the dinosaur's body cavity when it died.
  • Snug cavity protects laptop from unnecessary rattle.
  • Secondary peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, the tissue lining the abdominal cavity.
  • The result was remarkable: a material consisting of billions of tiny magnets, each rotating in its own cavity.
  • In all other mammals, the lungs are surrounded by two layers of a thin membrane called the pleural cavity.
British Dictionary definitions for cavity

cavity

/ˈkævɪtɪ/
noun (pl) -ties
1.
a hollow space; hole
2.
(dentistry) a soft decayed area on a tooth See caries
3.
any empty or hollow space within the body: the oral cavity
4.
(electronics) See cavity resonator
Word Origin
C16: from French cavité, from Late Latin cavitās, from Latin cavus hollow
Word Origin and History for cavity
n.

1540s, from Middle French cavité (13c.), from Late Latin cavitatem (nominative cavitas) "hollowness," from Latin cavus "hollow" (see cave (n.)).

cavity in Medicine

cavity cav·i·ty (kāv'ĭ-tē)
n.

  1. A hollow area within the body, such as a sinus cavity.

  2. A pitted area in a tooth caused by caries.

cavity in Science
cavity
  (kāv'ĭ-tē)   

  1. A hollow; a hole.

  2. A hollow area within the body.

  3. A pitted area in a tooth caused by caries.