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cave

cellar, basement

noun KAV Less Common

Origin: Latin cava (hollow)

Usage Note

Cave specifically means a cellar or vault beneath a building, often used for storing wine (une cave à vin — a wine cellar). It does not mean a mountain cave, which is une grotte. A related word is caverne (large cave or cavern). Cave in informal slang can also mean 'naive' or 'gullible' in Québécois French.

Examples

"Ils gardent leur vin dans la cave."

Natural Translation

They keep their wine in the cellar.

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