Cavity
/ˈkæv.ə.ti/noun
A hollow space in something, especially a hole or decay in a tooth.
Did you know?Cavity ultimately comes from the same Indo-European root that gave English words like cave and excavation, all orbiting the idea of an emptied-out space.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*keu-
“to swell, be hollow, or form a cavity”
Latin
Latin
cavus
“hollow, empty”
Latin
Latin
cavitas
“hollowness, cavity”
Old French
Old French
cavité
“a hollow or cavity”
Middle English
English
cavite
“a hollow place”
Modern English
English
cavity
“a hollow space, especially a tooth decay hole”