Excavate
verb
To dig out and remove earth or rock from a specific area.
Archaeologists are excavating an ancient Roman site.
Often appears as...
- excavate a site
- excavate a hole
verb
To make a hole or channel by digging.
The team was hired to excavate a drainage ditch.
Often appears as...
- excavate a ditch
- excavate a tunnel
verb
To uncover something by removing earth or rock that covers it.
She is excited to excavate the fossils.
Often appears as...
- excavate fossils
- excavate relics
Usage tips
Academic
verb
To dig out and remove earth or rock from a specific area.
Archaeologists are excavating an ancient Roman site.
Often appears as...
- excavate a site
- excavate a hole
verb
To make a hole or channel by digging.
The team was hired to excavate a drainage ditch.
Often appears as...
- excavate a ditch
- excavate a tunnel
verb
To uncover something by removing earth or rock that covers it.
She is excited to excavate the fossils.
Often appears as...
- excavate fossils
- excavate relics
Usage tips
Academic
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Size and Effort
Excavating often suggests a large or labor-intensive task.
The construction team will excavate the area for the new foundation.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Just Digging
Excavating implies careful removal of earth, not just displacing it.
They had to excavate delicately to preserve the buried cables.
Pro Tip 3/3Associated with Construction
The word is often used in construction and land development contexts.
Before building the pool, we must first excavate the backyard.
Pro Tip 1/3Size and Effort
Excavating often suggests a large or labor-intensive task.
The construction team will excavate the area for the new foundation.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Just Digging
Excavating implies careful removal of earth, not just displacing it.
They had to excavate delicately to preserve the buried cables.
Pro Tip 3/3Associated with Construction
The word is often used in construction and land development contexts.
Before building the pool, we must first excavate the backyard.
Pro Tip 1/3Size and Effort
Excavating often suggests a large or labor-intensive task.
The construction team will excavate the area for the new foundation.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Just Digging
Excavating implies careful removal of earth, not just displacing it.
They had to excavate delicately to preserve the buried cables.
Pro Tip 3/3Associated with Construction
The word is often used in construction and land development contexts.
Before building the pool, we must first excavate the backyard.
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Video examples
Giant Prehistoric...
first day of excavation it was clear that the crocodile we were uncovering was the most likely a species previously unknown science we were incredulous and happy very happy we named it mokemo soros writes this marine crocodile is related to a group of large border dies that faced extinction at the am afraid to ask
Video examples
The history buried under...
of an ancient temple and what's incredible is that this structure is only located a kilometer south of the main city and previous archaeologists had missed it zoom in a little bit closer you can see just how clear this is we're going to excavate this feature in future but it
Video examples
Hunting for Dinosaurs PIPE...
about the ancient life these clues are buried deep in the rock and must be painstakingly excavated the team began work on this site a year ago Lewis knows from the layer of rock they're digging that this dinosaur died a hundred and fifty million years ago but he doesn't
Video examples
The secret society of...
and made them harvest wood, excavate canals, and drain fields. Certain findings suggest that the Swamp’s hidden communities might have switched to a more defensive mode during this period. But researchers also observed more mass-produced objects from this time,
Video examples
Climb Ancient Temples in...
the structures haven't been excavated due to logistical and funding challenges but you can still make them out underneath mounds of dirt and trees these extra layers actually help preserve the ruins by protecting them from the elements some pieces of history
Video examples
Perfect Byzantine Ship PIPE...
it's so special but seven years ago all the team could do was look they didn't have the time or the tools to excavate such an important piece of history today they do once again Ballard and his team have reassembled on the waters of the
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 146 PIPE...
just imagine trying to excavate this massive hole yer entirely which is not Kathy I've seen quite a number of art walk in my life mostly at night okay and and being quite lucky here in the Kruger Park but I haven't seen most of them
Video examples
Help discover ancient...
and will help create a new global alarm system to help protect sites. But it's not just going to stop there. All the archaeologists with whom we share your discoveries will take you with them as they begin to excavate them,
Video examples
How 3-D Imaging Helps...
Are we in a hurry? Yes. Damaged by water, looting and encroachment is the biggest threat to archaeological sites all around the world. That's why we are here in Chotuna looking at an excavation,
Video examples
Sulphur Surfer PIPE Yukon...
is 40 feet deep not so long though they'll have to shut down and excavate the rocks I'm just gonna take it down a little bit with the hall I don't know I'm sinking now it's gonna be soft it's
Video examples
Giant Prehistoric...
first day of excavation it was clear that the crocodile we were uncovering was the most likely a species previously unknown science we were incredulous and happy very happy we named it mokemo soros writes this marine crocodile is related to a group of large border dies that faced extinction at the am afraid to ask
Video examples
The history buried under...
of an ancient temple and what's incredible is that this structure is only located a kilometer south of the main city and previous archaeologists had missed it zoom in a little bit closer you can see just how clear this is we're going to excavate this feature in future but it
Video examples
Hunting for Dinosaurs PIPE...
about the ancient life these clues are buried deep in the rock and must be painstakingly excavated the team began work on this site a year ago Lewis knows from the layer of rock they're digging that this dinosaur died a hundred and fifty million years ago but he doesn't
Video examples
The secret society of...
and made them harvest wood, excavate canals, and drain fields. Certain findings suggest that the Swamp’s hidden communities might have switched to a more defensive mode during this period. But researchers also observed more mass-produced objects from this time,
Video examples
Climb Ancient Temples in...
the structures haven't been excavated due to logistical and funding challenges but you can still make them out underneath mounds of dirt and trees these extra layers actually help preserve the ruins by protecting them from the elements some pieces of history
Video examples
Perfect Byzantine Ship PIPE...
it's so special but seven years ago all the team could do was look they didn't have the time or the tools to excavate such an important piece of history today they do once again Ballard and his team have reassembled on the waters of the
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 146 PIPE...
just imagine trying to excavate this massive hole yer entirely which is not Kathy I've seen quite a number of art walk in my life mostly at night okay and and being quite lucky here in the Kruger Park but I haven't seen most of them
Video examples
Help discover ancient...
and will help create a new global alarm system to help protect sites. But it's not just going to stop there. All the archaeologists with whom we share your discoveries will take you with them as they begin to excavate them,
Video examples
How 3-D Imaging Helps...
Are we in a hurry? Yes. Damaged by water, looting and encroachment is the biggest threat to archaeological sites all around the world. That's why we are here in Chotuna looking at an excavation,
Video examples
Sulphur Surfer PIPE Yukon...
is 40 feet deep not so long though they'll have to shut down and excavate the rocks I'm just gonna take it down a little bit with the hall I don't know I'm sinking now it's gonna be soft it's
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Aminatta Forna
British Writer
No one ever sits you down at age eight and says, 'Aminatta, this is what's happened so far.' You have to work it out for yourself, and by the time you do, it's ancient history to many of the players. We're trying to make sense of the past, so we start to excavate our memories.
Quote examples
Sarah Parcak
American Scientist
Scorpions like holes. We had to put our arms in the holes to dig out the smelting residues. We always performed critter checks before an excavation, but one morning, I put an arm in and felt a sharp pierce. When I brought my hand out, it was red and already swelling.
Quote examples
Magnus Larsson
Swedish Athlete
Sand dunes are almost like ready-made buildings in a way. All we need to do is solidify the parts that we need to be solid, and then excavate the sand, and we have our architecture. We can either excavate it by hand, or we can have the wind excavate it for us.
Quote examples
John C. McGinley
American Actor
What helps writers, and ultimately, obviously, helps the actors - who should serve the words that the writer puts on the page - is if the character has damages, because then the writers can cultivate and excavate, like a dentist going into a tooth.
Quote examples
Zahi Hawass
Egyptian Scientist
We are the only ones who really can care about the preservation Foreigners who come to excavate, maybe some of them care about preservation, but the majority care about discoveries.
Quote examples
Dorothy Allison
American Writer
Class, race, sexuality, gender and all other categories by which we categorize and dismiss each other need to be excavated from the inside.
Quote examples
Janet Fitch
American Author
I never know how a novel is going to end, because you don't really know what's going to be at the bottom of a novel until you excavate it.
Quote examples
James Baldwin
American Novelist
The responsibility of a writer is to excavate the experience of the people who produced him.
Quote examples
Sam Wanamaker
American Actor
What would the world say if the Globe, now that it has at last been found, is not excavated?
Quote examples
Mary Beard
I was nearly struck by lightning on an excavation in Turkey.
Quote examples
Aminatta Forna
British Writer
No one ever sits you down at age eight and says, 'Aminatta, this is what's happened so far.' You have to work it out for yourself, and by the time you do, it's ancient history to many of the players. We're trying to make sense of the past, so we start to excavate our memories.
Quote examples
Sarah Parcak
American Scientist
Scorpions like holes. We had to put our arms in the holes to dig out the smelting residues. We always performed critter checks before an excavation, but one morning, I put an arm in and felt a sharp pierce. When I brought my hand out, it was red and already swelling.
Quote examples
Magnus Larsson
Swedish Athlete
Sand dunes are almost like ready-made buildings in a way. All we need to do is solidify the parts that we need to be solid, and then excavate the sand, and we have our architecture. We can either excavate it by hand, or we can have the wind excavate it for us.
Quote examples
John C. McGinley
American Actor
What helps writers, and ultimately, obviously, helps the actors - who should serve the words that the writer puts on the page - is if the character has damages, because then the writers can cultivate and excavate, like a dentist going into a tooth.
Quote examples
Zahi Hawass
Egyptian Scientist
We are the only ones who really can care about the preservation Foreigners who come to excavate, maybe some of them care about preservation, but the majority care about discoveries.
Quote examples
Dorothy Allison
American Writer
Class, race, sexuality, gender and all other categories by which we categorize and dismiss each other need to be excavated from the inside.
Quote examples
Janet Fitch
American Author
I never know how a novel is going to end, because you don't really know what's going to be at the bottom of a novel until you excavate it.
Quote examples
James Baldwin
American Novelist
The responsibility of a writer is to excavate the experience of the people who produced him.
Quote examples
Sam Wanamaker
American Actor
What would the world say if the Globe, now that it has at last been found, is not excavated?
Quote examples
Mary Beard
I was nearly struck by lightning on an excavation in Turkey.
Example 1 of 10
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