cave

grotte

Grand espace naturel à l’intérieur de la roche ou sous terre.

En anglais simple : A large natural space inside rock or under the ground.

• Bats live in this cave.
• We explored several caves along the coast.
• They sheltered in a cave during the storm.

Synonymes : cavern

Expressions courantes : dark cave, cave entrance, explore a cave

cave

Pièce fraîche sous terre où l’on conserve du vin ou du fromage.

En anglais simple : A cool room below ground where wine or cheese is stored.

• The cheese rests in a cool cave.
• Our wine cave holds two hundred bottles.
• They built caves beneath the shop to store cheese.

Synonymes : cellar

Expressions courantes : wine cave, cheese cave, storage cave

cavité, creux

Creux dans la terre ou la roche, formé naturellement ou créé par des personnes.

En anglais simple : A hollow or gap in earth or rock, made naturally or by people.

• Rainwater collected in a shallow cave in the rock.
• The workers dug a small cave in the bank.
• Loose soil filled the caves left by fallen stones.

Synonymes : hollow, hole, cavity

Expressions courantes : small cave, cave in rock, shallow cave

effondrement, éboulement

Chute d’un toit ou du sol dans l’espace vide qui se trouve en dessous.

En anglais simple : An event in which a roof or ground falls into the space below it.

• A cave blocked the mine entrance.
• The miners escaped before the roof cave.
• Several caves damaged the old tunnels.

Synonymes : cave-in, collapse

Expressions courantes : roof cave, mine cave, sudden cave

céder

Arrêter de résister à la pression et accepter ce que quelqu’un demande.

En anglais simple : To stop resisting pressure and agree to what someone wants.

• I finally caved and said yes.
• Will they cave in to our demands?
• He caved after the children begged for a puppy.

Comment l'utiliser : cave in to someone/something (The council caved in to public pressure.); cave under pressure (She refused to cave under pressure.)

Synonymes : give in, yield, surrender

Contraires : resist

Expressions courantes : cave in, cave under pressure, cave to demands

s’effondrer

Tomber vers l’intérieur ou vers le bas faute de soutien suffisant.

En anglais simple : To fall inward or down because there is not enough support.

• The roof caved in.
• These walls could cave under the weight.
• Heavy rain caused the tunnel to cave in.

Comment l'utiliser : cave in (The tunnel began to cave in.)

Synonymes : collapse, fall in

Expressions courantes : cave in, roof cave in, walls cave in

creuser, saper

Enlever de la terre ou de la roche à l’intérieur ou sous quelque chose, pour le creuser ou l’affaiblir.

En anglais simple : To remove earth or rock from inside or beneath something, leaving a hollow or weakening it.

• The current caved the riverbank.
• Floodwater had caved the earth beneath the wall.
• Strong waves slowly cave the softer rock.

Synonymes : hollow out, undermine

Expressions courantes : cave a bank, cave the earth, cave a levee

extraire par foudroyage

Extraire la roche d’une mine en retirant ses supports pour la faire tomber.

En anglais simple : To obtain rock in a mine by removing its supports so it falls down.

• Miners cave the deposit by removing its supports.
• The crew caved the ore above the tunnel.
• They will cave this section after clearing the workers.

Expressions courantes : cave the deposit, cave the ore, cave the rock