Meaning & use
cavity
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A hole or decayed area in a tooth.
Grammar: Countable noun; often used with 'have' or 'get'.
Patterns
- have a cavity
- get a cavity filled
The dentist found a small cavity in my back molar.
She had two cavities filled last week.
Brushing regularly helps prevent cavities.
nouncountable
A hollow or empty space within a solid object or structure.
Grammar: Countable noun; often used in technical or descriptive contexts.
Patterns
- a cavity in something
- fill a cavity
The geode had a beautiful crystal-lined cavity inside.
The wall has a cavity for insulation.
The body cavity contains vital organs.
Word forms
| plural | cavities |
|---|
Common combinations
- dental cavity
- A dental cavity can be painful if left untreated.
- body cavity
- The chest is a major body cavity.
- cavity wall
- Cavity wall insulation can reduce heating bills.
- fill a cavity
- The dentist filled the cavity with a composite resin.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hole
- A general opening or hollow place; 'cavity' is more formal and often suggests a natural or enclosed space within something.
- hollow
- An empty space inside something; 'hollow' often implies a depression or concave area, while 'cavity' suggests a more enclosed void.
- caries
- The medical term for tooth decay; 'cavity' is the everyday word for the resulting hole.
Opposites
Word family
- cavity noun
- A hollow space or a decayed area in a tooth.
Commonly confused: cavity or caviar? cavity or calvary?
cavity vs caviar
The salted roe of sturgeon, eaten as a delicacy; a completely different word despite similar spelling.
cavity vs calvary
The place of Jesus's crucifixion; sometimes confused in spelling, but 'cavity' has no religious meaning.
Practice
The dentist said I need to have a ___ filled in my tooth.
Choose one answer.
A 'cavity' is a hole in a tooth caused by decay, which dentists fill. 'Caviar' is a food, 'Calvary' is a biblical place, and 'cavil' means to make petty objections—none fit the dental context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cavity”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.