- to make hollow by removing the inner part; make a hole or cavity in; form into a hollow, as by digging: The ground was excavated for a foundation.
- to make (a hole, tunnel, etc.) by removing material.
- to dig or scoop out (earth, sand, etc.).
- to expose or lay bare by or as if by digging; unearth: to excavate an ancient city.
- to remove (soil, earth, etc) by digging; dig out
- to make (a hole, cavity, or tunnel) in (solid matter) by hollowing or removing the centre or inner part
- to unearth (buried objects) methodically in an attempt to discover information about the past
