cavern
gb/kˈævɚn/ us/kˈævɚn/
B2
English
~ 7700
barlang, üreg, üreget váj
NOUN
B2
1
barlang
A2
Usage pattern:
a cavern in [rock/ground]
The explorers lowered a rope and climbed down into the vast cavern beneath the mountain.
A felfedezők leengedtek egy kötelet, és lemásztak a hegy alatt húzódó hatalmas barlangba.
Stalactites hung from the roof of the limestone cavern like sharp teeth.
Függő cseppkövek lógtak a mészkőbarlang mennyezetéről, mint valami éles fogak.
The underground river disappeared into a dark cavern and was lost from sight.
Tourists queued for an hour to see the famous crystal cavern.
Bats filled the cavern at dusk, pouring out into the night sky.
Learner examples
We visited a huge cavern inside the mountain.
Egy hatalmas barlangot látogattunk meg a hegy belsejében.
The guide took us into a dark cavern under the ground.
Az idegenvezető egy sötét, föld alatti barlangba vitt minket.
Water dripped from the roof of the cavern.
Many bats live in the cavern.
They used a light to see the walls of the cavern.
Common mistake:
Learners often use "cave" for all underground spaces and do not know "cavern". In general English, this is not wrong, but "cavern" is used when you want to stress that the cave is very large. Some learners also confuse "cavern" with "cabin" (a small house) because they look similar in writing.
Meaning
very large natural cave
Collocations
vast cavern
|underground cavern
|limestone cavern
|dark cavern
|explore a cavern
|flooded cavern
Synonyms
cave (More general and more common; can be large or small, while a cavern suggests great size.)
|
grotto (Often smaller and more picturesque; can be natural or artificial, sometimes used for decorative caves.)
Antonyms
solid rock (Describes rock that has no hollow space inside, the opposite of a hollow underground chamber.)
Themes
nature
|geography
|travel
Definition
A very big natural cave in rock, usually under the ground.
A very large natural cave, typically underground and formed in rock.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
2
Usage pattern:
a cavern of [something]
She opened her mouth, revealing a dark cavern of missing teeth.
Kinyitotta a száját, és előtűnt a hiányzó fogak helyén tátongó sötét üreg.
Their footsteps echoed in the cavern of the empty railway station.
Lépteik visszhangoztak az üres pályaudvar barlangszerű csarnokában.
The warehouse was a cold cavern, lit by a few weak bulbs.
He felt a vast cavern inside his chest where his confidence used to be.
The great hall was a stone cavern, silent except for the crackling fire.
Learner examples
His open mouth looked like a dark cavern.
Tátott szája olyan volt, mint egy sötét barlang.
The empty hall was a big cavern of space.
Az üres terem hatalmas, barlangszerű térnek tűnt.
Her voice echoed in the cavern of the old church.
The stadium felt like a cavern with no people inside.
The garage was a cold cavern with only one small light.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse the noun "cavern" with the adjective "cavernous". "Cavern" is the space itself, while "cavernous" describes something that is like a cavern (for example, "a cavernous hall"). In this figurative sense, English speakers more often use "cavernous" than "cavern".
Meaning
very large empty enclosed space
Collocations
a cavern of a mouth
|the cavern of his chest
|a cavern of darkness
|the great cavern of the hall
Synonyms
void (Focuses more on emptiness and absence; "cavern" suggests a specific large hollow space with walls around it.)
|
hollow (A more general word for an empty space inside something; less strongly suggests great size than "cavern".)
Antonyms
cramped room (Describes a very small, tight space, which contrasts with the feeling of wide emptiness suggested by "cavern".)
Themes
description
|literature
|housing
|body
Definition
A very big and empty space that feels like a cave, for example inside a room or a body part.
A very large, deep, and often dark enclosed space that resembles a cave, especially inside a building or part of the body.
VERB
C2
LITERARY
3
üreget váj
B2
Usage pattern:
to cavern [rock/surface]
Over millions of years, underground rivers caverned the limestone beneath the plateau.
Évmilliók alatt a föld alatti folyók üregeket vájtak a fennsík alatti mészkőbe.
The cliff face had been caverned by the relentless action of the waves.
A sziklafalat üregesre vájta a hullámok szüntelen munkája.
Glacial meltwater caverned the rock, leaving a network of tunnels and chambers.
Learner examples
Water slowly caverned the soft rock.
A víz lassan üreget vájt a puha kőzetbe.
The sea caverned the side of the cliff.
A tenger üreget vájt a sziklafal oldalába.
Ice and rain caverned the stone over time.
The river caverned the ground under the hill.
Common mistake:
This verb is very rare in modern English. Learners usually should not use it and should prefer "hollow out" or "erode". Some may confuse it with the common verb phrase "cave in", which means "to fall in" or "to give way" and is not related in grammar to "cavern".
Meaning
to hollow out like a cave
Collocations
caverned cliffs
|caverned rock
|a landscape caverned by water
Synonyms
hollow out (More common phrasal verb in modern English; neutral style, while "cavern" as a verb is rare and more literary or technical.)
Antonyms
fill in (Means to put material into a hollow space, the opposite of making a hollow or cavity.)
Themes
nature
|geology
|work
Definition
To cut or wear away the inside of something so it becomes like a cave.
To hollow something out so that it forms a deep space like a cave.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cavern
IPA
GB/kˈævɚn/
US/kˈævɚn/
Syllables & stress
cav - ern (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (cav)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: cavern
- Plural: caverns
Word family
Forms
caverns
noun
Core family
cavernous
adjective
Related words
cave
noun B1
caver
noun
Advanced or less common
cavernously
adverb
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.