hollow

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈhɑ.loʊ/ UK /ˈhɒl.əʊ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like halloa /æ/ vs /ɑ/ Sounds like hallow /æ/ vs /ɑ/

Freq #6522

Meanings

1

adj
Having an empty space inside; not solid.

The squirrel made its home in a hollow tree.
2

noun
An empty space or hole inside something solid.

The owl nested in a hollow in the tree trunk.
3

verb
To remove the inside of something to make it empty.

They hollowed out a log to make a simple boat.
4

adj
Sounding empty, as if echoing in an empty space.

His footsteps made a hollow sound in the empty hall.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · an empty space or hole... cavity

3 verb · to remove the inside of... hollow out

Word family

Forms hollowedhollowerhollowesthollowinghollows

Derived forms hollow-eyedhollow-fiberhollow-fibrehollow-heartedhollow-heartedlyhollow-heartednesshollowfiberhollowfibrehollowheartedhollowlyhollownesshollowroot

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

hollow wall
a wall containing an empty internal space

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Hollow is an Old English word related to hole. The separate Middle English noun hold, meaning a large compartment in the lower part of a ship or aircraft, derives from hole and is also related to hollow.

Etymology

From Middle English holow, holowe, holwe, holwȝ, holgh, from Old English holh (“a hollow”), from Proto-West Germanic *holh, from Proto-Germanic *hulhwą, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ḱólḱwos. Cognate with Old High German huliwa and hulwa, Middle High German hülwe. Related to hole.

holow Middle English holh Old English *holh Proto-West Germanic *hulhwą Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# hollow

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈhɑ.loʊ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈhɒl.əʊ/
**Frequency rank:** 6522

## Meanings
1. Having an empty space inside; not solid.
2. An empty space or hole inside something solid.
3. To remove the inside of something to make it empty.
4. Sounding empty, as if echoing in an empty space.

## Examples
- The squirrel made its home in a hollow tree.
- The owl nested in a hollow in the tree trunk.
- They hollowed out a log to make a simple boat.
- His footsteps made a hollow sound in the empty hall.

## Derived Forms
- hollow-eyed
- hollow-fiber
- hollow-fibre
- hollow-hearted
- hollow-heartedly
- hollow-heartedness
- hollowfiber
- hollowfibre
- hollowhearted
- hollowly
- hollowness
- hollowroot

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: holow
- Root: holh
- Root: *holh
- Root: *hulhwą

## Etymology
From Middle English holow, holowe, holwe, holwȝ, holgh, from Old English holh (“a hollow”), from Proto-West Germanic *holh, from Proto-Germanic *hulhwą, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ḱólḱwos. Cognate with Old High German huliwa and hulwa, Middle High German hülwe. Related to hole.

## AI Etymology
Hollow comes from Middle English holow, holowe, holwe, holwȝ, holgh, from Old English holh (“a hollow”), from Proto-West Germanic *holh, from Proto-Germanic *hulhwą, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ḱólḱwos. Cognate with Old High German huliwa and hulwa, Middle High German hülwe. Related to hole. In current use, the main senses are “Having an empty space inside; not solid” and “An empty space or hole inside something solid”.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

markdown