Hollowing

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈhɒləʊɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The act of removing material from inside an object to create a cavity ; the process of appearing concave or depressed as if emptying out
2. Creating a hollow or void within a solid form ; growing a sunken or concave shape that looks empty
3. Carving or scooping out space inside a solid item ; the change to a hollowed or uneven surface or look

Etymology: "Hollowing" is simply "hollow" with the "-ing" ending added, and the pair shows how a word for an empty space became a word for the act of making one. "Hollow" comes from Old English "holh," a noun meaning a cavity or hole, which later became an adjective describing anything with an empty interior. Adding "-ing" turned the adjective back into a noun and verb for the process of emptying something out. The sense of the word's meaning has moved from the cavity itself to the work of carving one, and also to the uneven, scooped-out look a surface can take on afterwards.

Synonyms: excavation, cavity, depression, void, emptiness

Antonyms: filling, solidification, fullness, enrichment, density