hollow

hollow
\ \ [12] Modern English hole comes from an Old English adjective meaning ‘hollow’, and by a coincidental swap hollow originated in an Old English word for ‘hole’ (the two are probably ultimately related). Old English holh meant ‘hollow place’, ‘hole’, or ‘cave’, and presumably came from the same source as produced Old English holhollow’. In the early Middle English period it began to be used as an adjective, its inflected form holge having become holwe, later holew or hollow.
\ \ Cf.CAULIFLOWER

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Hollow — may refer to: *A closed body which is not solid or filled. i.e. contains empty space or air. **Hollow Earth theory, the idea that the planet Earth has a hollow interior and possibly an inhabitable inner surface. **Tree hollow, a hollow in a… …   Wikipedia

  • Hollow — Hol low, a. [OE. holow, holgh, holf, AS. holh a hollow, hole. Cf. {Hole}.] 1. Having an empty space or cavity, natural or artificial, within a solid substance; not solid; excavated in the interior; as, a hollow tree; a hollow sphere. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hollow — [häl′ō] adj. [ME holwe < OE holh: see HOLE] 1. having an empty space, or only air, within it; having a cavity inside; not solid 2. depressed below the surrounding surface; shaped like a cup or bowl; concave 3. deeply set; sunken [hollow… …   English World dictionary

  • hollow — [adj1] empty, hollowed out alveolate, arched, carved out, cavernous, cleft, concave, cupped, cup shaped, curved, deep set, depressed, dimpled, excavated, incurved, indented, infundibular, notched, not solid, pitted, striated, sunken, troughlike,… …   New thesaurus

  • hollow — ► ADJECTIVE 1) having a hole or empty space inside. 2) concave. 3) (of a sound) echoing. 4) lacking significance or sincerity. ► NOUN 1) a hole or depression. 2) a small valley …   English terms dictionary

  • Hollow — Hol low, n. 1. A cavity, natural or artificial; an unfilled space within anything; a hole, a cavern; an excavation; as the hollow of the hand or of a tree. [1913 Webster] 2. A low spot surrounded by elevations; a depressed part of a surface; a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hollow — Hol low, adv. Wholly; completely; utterly; chiefly after the verb to beat, and often with all; as, this story beats the other all hollow. See {All}, adv. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster] The more civilized so called Caucasian races have beaten the Turks… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hollow — Hol low, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Hollowed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Hollowing}.] To make hollow, as by digging, cutting, or engraving; to excavate. Trees rudely hollowed. Dryden. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hollow — adj empty, *vain, nugatory, otiose, idle Ana & Contrasted words: see those at EMPTY adj 2 hollow n cavity, *hole, pocket, void, vacuum Analogous words: excavation, digging (see corresponding verbs at DIG): * …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Hollow — Hol*low , interj. [See {Hollo}.] Hollo. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hollow — Hol low, v. i. To shout; to hollo. [1913 Webster] Whisperings and hollowings are alike to a deaf ear. Fuller. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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