excavate
/ˈekskəveɪt/verb
with obj.
1
- make (a hole or channel) by digging挖掘, 挖（洞, 渠）：
the cheapest way of doing this was to excavate a long trench.
干这事花费最少的方法就是挖一条长长的沟。
1.1
- dig out material from (the ground)把（地面）挖开：
the ground was largely excavated by hand.
这场地大部分是用手挖的。
1.2
- extract (material) from the ground by digging从地上挖走（材料）：
a very large amount of gravel would be excavated to form the channel.
为形成水渠, 大量的砾石将被挖走。
2
- remove earth carefully and systematically from (an area) in order to find buried remains在（某地区）发掘。
2.1
- reveal or extract (buried remains) in this way发掘（埋藏的遗址）：
clothing and weapons were excavated from the burial site.
从墓地里发掘出了一些衣物和武器。
词源
late 16th cent.: from Latin excavat- 'hollowed out', from the verb excavare, from ex- 'out'+cavare 'make or become hollow' （from cavus 'hollow'）.