hollow

hollow
I. noun Etymology: Middle English holw, holh, from Old English holh hole, hollow — more at hole Date: before 12th century 1. an unfilled space ; cavity, hole 2. a depressed or low part of a surface; especially a small valley or basin II. adjective (hollower; hollowest) Etymology: Middle English holw, holh, from holh hole Date: 13th century 1. having an indentation or inward curve ; concave, sunken 2. having a cavity within <
a hollow tree
>
3. lacking in real value, sincerity, or substance ; false, meaningless <
hollow promises
>
<
a victory over a weakling is hollow and without triumph — Ernest Beaglehole
>
4. reverberating like a sound made in or by beating on a large empty enclosure ; muffled Synonyms: see vainhollowly adverbhollowness noun III. verb Date: 15th century transitive verb 1. to make hollow 2. to form by a hollowing action — usually used with out <
rain barrels hollowed out from trees — Robert Shaplen
>
intransitive verb to become hollow IV. adverb Date: 1601 1. so as to have a hollow sound 2. completely, thoroughly <
an ongoing story that has the old cowboy-and-Indians genre beat hollow — Barbara Bannon
>
— often used with all

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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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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