cavity
cavity — noun
- cavitysingular
- cavitiesplural
1. a space that has been left empty inside a solid mass, or the narrow opening wher
a space that has been left empty inside a solid mass, or the narrow opening where two surfaces meet but do not touch completely
A small cavity in the wall gave the mice a way into the kitchen.
cavity in [surface]: an empty space inside a solid object
The builders filled every cavity between the bricks with cement.
fill a cavity — common verb + noun collocation
Lan checked inside the wall cavity for any signs of damp after the heavy rain.
When Tomás peeled the orange, a small cavity remained where the fruit had connected to the tree.
The engineers designed the bridge with several empty cavities to reduce its overall weight.
- solid
a mass with no empty space inside
文法句型
cavity + in + [something solid]
用法筆記
Cavity usually refers to a space inside something that was designed or formed that way (e.g. a wall cavity), or a gap that exists naturally between two surfaces. For an accidental or unwanted opening, 'hole' is more common.
常見錯誤
2. a small hole that forms in a tooth when the hard outer layer is damaged by acid
a small hole that forms in a tooth when the hard outer layer is damaged by acid from sugar and bacteria
The dentist found a small cavity between two of Zola's back teeth.
find a cavity — typical verb pairing at the dentist
Brushing your teeth twice a day helps prevent cavities from forming.
prevent cavities — common health-advice pattern
Rafael was told he had a cavity that would need a filling right away.
Children who eat many sugary snacks sometimes get cavities in their baby teeth.
Olivia's dentist said the cavity was too deep to fix with a simple filling.
- hole (in a tooth)
less formal, used in everyday speech
- decay
the process of damage rather than the resulting hole; uncountable
- caries
medical term for tooth decay; mostly used by dentists
文法句型
have + cavity / cavities
用法筆記
In everyday conversation, people often say 'a hole in my tooth' to mean a cavity. 'Cavity' is the standard term used by dentists and in health information.
常見錯誤
3. a hollow space inside the body that contains internal organs, or a natural open
a hollow space inside the body that contains internal organs, or a natural open area within a body part such as a bone or sinus
The nasal cavity warms and moistens the air before it reaches the lungs.
nasal cavity / chest cavity / oral cavity — specific named body cavities
Surgeons examined Heloísa's abdominal cavity using a small camera.
An infection in the chest cavity can make it very painful to breathe deeply.
The oral cavity contains the tongue, teeth, and the openings of the salivary glands.
A CT scan can show whether there is fluid trapped inside any of the body cavities.
文法句型
the [adjective] cavity
body cavity
用法筆記
In medical contexts, cavity often appears with a specific adjective naming the body area, such as 'nasal cavity,' 'oral cavity,' 'abdominal cavity,' or 'chest cavity.' These are fixed anatomical terms.