excavar

to excavate; to dig

verb eks-kah-BAHR Rare

Origin: From Latin excavare (to hollow out), from ex- + cavare (to hollow).

Usage Note

Excavar implies digging with a purpose—archaeological digs, construction trenches, tunnels—rather than casual digging (cavar). An excavadora is a mechanical digger/excavator. In archaeology, excavar un yacimiento (to excavate a site) is the standard phrase. The noun form is excavación.

Examples

"Los arqueólogos excavaron el yacimiento romano."

Natural Translation

The archaeologists excavated the Roman site.

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