Hollower

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Characterized by having a cavity or space within, often used to describe a container or object that is not solid throughout
2. Describing something that has been made less dense or substantial, resulting in a hollow core
3. Referring to an entity or structure that lacks solid content, leading to an emptiness or void at its center

Etymology: "Hollower" is an odd one: it is a comparative, not a noun in its own right. It is built from the adjective "hollow" plus the comparative ending "-er", meaning "more hollow," so the word would literally mean "the more hollow one." The ending itself traces back through Old English "-ra" and Proto-Germanic forms to a very ancient comparative suffix. The word that matters for the noun sense is a different "-er." The source lists a second route for the same spelling: "-er" as an agent suffix meaning "one who does something," which came into English from Latin "-arius" by way of Old French "-ier." That suffix is the one that turns verbs into people and tools, as in "baker" or "miner," and it is the same ending that gives the present noun its shape.