Definitions for hollow
ˈhɒl oʊhol·low

Princeton's WordNet(2.80 / 5 votes)Rate this definition:

1. hollownoun

   a cavity or space in something

   "hunger had caused the hollows in their cheeks"

2. hollow, hollernoun

   a small valley between mountains

   "he built himself a cabin in a hollow high up in the Appalachians"

3. hole, hollowadjective

   a depression hollowed out of solid matter

4. hollowadjective

   not solid; having a space or gap or cavity

   "a hollow wall"; "a hollow tree"; "hollow cheeks"; "his face became gaunter and more hollow with each year"

5. hollowadjective

   as if echoing in a hollow space

   "the hollow sound of footsteps in the empty ballroom"

6. empty, hollow, vacuousverb

   devoid of significance or point

   "empty promises"; "a hollow victory"; "vacuous comments"

7. excavate, dig, hollowverb

   remove the inner part or the core of

   "the mining company wants to excavate the hillside"

8. hollow, hollow out, core outverb

   remove the interior of

   "hollow out a tree trunk"

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Hollowadjective

   Etymology: from hole.

   1. Excavated; having a void space within; not solid.

   It is fortune’s use
   To let the wretched man outlive his wealth,
   To view with hollow eye and wrinkled brow
   An age of poverty. William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice.

   Some search for hollow trees, and fell the woods. Dryden.

   He frets, he fumes, he stares, he stamps the ground;
   The hollow tow’rs with clamours ring around. Dryden.

   2. Noisy, like sound reverberated from a cavity.

   The southern wind,
   Now by his hollow whistling in the leaves,
   Foretels a tempest. William Shakespeare, Henry IV. p. i.

   Thence issu’d such a blast and hollow roar,
   As threaten’d from the hinge to heave the door. Dryden.

   3. Not faithful; not sound; not what one appears.

   Who in want a hollow friend doth try,
   Directly seasons him his enemy. William Shakespeare, Hamlet.

   Hollow church papists are like the roots of nettles, which themselves sting not; but yet they bear all the stinging leaves. Francis Bacon, Ornam. Ration.

   He seem’d
   For dignity compos’d, and high exploit;
   But all was false and hollow. John Milton, Par. Lost, b. ii.

   What could be expected from him, but knotty and crooked hollow hearted dealings? James Howell, Vocal Forrest.

   The hollow hearted, disaffected,
   And close malignants are detected. Hudibras, p. iii.

2. Hollownoun

   1. Cavity; concavity.

   I’ve heard myself proclaim’d,
   And by the happy hollow of a tree
   Escap’d the hunt. William Shakespeare, King Lear.

   I suppose there is some vault or hollow, or isle, behind the wall, and some passage to it. Francis Bacon, Natural History.

   Against the horse’s side his spear
   He throws, which trembles with enclosed fear;
   Whilst from the hollows of his womb proceed
   Groans, not his own. John Denham.

   Himself, as in the hollow of his hand,
   Holding, obedient to his high command,
   The deep abyss. Matthew Prior.

   2. Cavern; den; hole.

   Who art thou, that lately did’st descend
   Into this gaping hollow of the earth? William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus.

   Forests grew
   Upon the barren hollows, high o’ershading
   The haunts of savage beasts. Matthew Prior.

   3. Pit.

   A fine genius for gardening thought of forming such an unsightly hollow into so uncommon and agreeable a scene. Addis.

   4. Any opening or vacuity.

   He touched the hollow of his thigh. Gen. xxii. 25.

   5. Passage; canal.

   The little springs and rills are conveyed through little channels into the main hollow of the aqueduct. Joseph Addison, on Italy.

3. To Hollowverb

   To make hollow; to excavate.

   Etymology: from the noun.

   Trees, rudely hollow’d, did the waves sustain,
   ’Ere ships in triumph plow’d the watry plain. John Dryden, Ovid.

   Multitudes were employed in the sinking of wells, the digging of trenches, and the hollowing of trees. Spectator.

4. To Hollowverb

   To shout; to hoot.

   This unseen judge will wait, and in your ear
   Will hollow rebel, tyrant, murderer. John Dryden, Aurengzebe.

   I pass for a disaffected person and a murderer, for no other reason but because I do not hoot and hollow, and make a noise. Joseph Addison, Spectator.

   He with his hounds comes hollowing from the stable,
   Makes love with nods, and kneels beneath a table. Alexander Pope.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Hollowadjective

   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

2. Hollowadjective

   depressed; concave; gaunt; sunken

3. Hollowadjective

   reverberated from a cavity, or resembling such a sound; deep; muffled; as, a hollow roar

4. Hollowadjective

   not sincere or faithful; false; deceitful; not sound; as, a hollow heart; a hollow friend

5. Hollownoun

   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

6. Hollownoun

   a low spot surrounded by elevations; a depressed part of a surface; a concavity; a channel

7. Hollowverb

   to make hollow, as by digging, cutting, or engraving; to excavate

8. Hollowadverb

   wholly; completely; utterly; -- chiefly after the verb to beat, and often with all; as, this story beats the other all hollow. See All, adv

9. Hollow

   hollo

10. Hollowverb

    to shout; to hollo

11. Hollowverb

    to urge or call by shouting

12. Etymology: [See Hollo.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Hollow

   hol′ō, adj. vacant: not solid: containing an empty space: sunken: unsound: insincere.—n. a hole: a cavity: any depression in a body: any vacuity: a groove: a channel.—v.t. to make a hole in: to make hollow by digging: to excavate.—adv. completely: clean.—adjs. Holl′ow-eyed, having sunken eyes; Holl′ow-heart′ed, having a hollow or untrue heart: faithless: treacherous.—adv. Holl′owly (Shak.), in a hollow or insincere manner.—ns. Holl′owness, the state of being hollow: cavity: insincerity: treachery; Holl′ow-ware, trade name for hollow articles of iron, as pots and kettles.—Beat hollow, to beat wholly. [A.S. holh, a hollow place—hol. See Hole.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. hollow

   The bore of a rocket. In naval architecture, a name for the fifth or top-timber-sweep (which see). Also, hollow or curved leeches of sails, in contradistinction to straight.

Matched Categories

1. • Cavity
   • Remove

How to pronounce hollow?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say hollow in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of hollow in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of hollow in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of hollow in a Sentence

1. Theresa Dellinger:

   There are little hollow hairs in that fluffy, hairy material, it's not going to reach out and bite you, but if someone brushes up against that hair, it'll release toxins that you'll have a reaction to.

2. Leo Buscaglia:

   Love can never grow old. Locks may lose their brown and gold. Cheeks may fade and hollow grow. But the hearts that love will know, never winter's frost and chill, summer's warmth is in them still.

3. Chinese:

   A vacant mind is open to all suggestions, as the hollow mountain returns all sounds.

4. Walfredo Dimaguila:

   What we plan is to turn them into hollow blocks and bricks and sell them to interested companies.

5. Letitia Elizabeth Landon:

   Who, in after life, can help smiling at the fancies in which early anticipation revelled ; how absurd, how impossible, do they not now appear! Yet, in such mockery lurks much of bitterness : the laugh rings hollow from many a disappointment, and many a mortification.

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