hollow

English

hollow on Wikipedia

Alternative forms

hallow
holler (nonstandard: dialectal, especially Southern US)

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /ˈhɒl.əʊ/
(US) IPA^(key): /ˈhɑ.loʊ/
- Audio (US): (file)
- (Southern US, Appalachia) IPA^(key): /ˈhɑlɚ/
Rhymes: -ɒləʊ

Etymology 1

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. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?) Cognate with Old High German huliwa and hulwa, Middle High German hülwe. Related to hole.

Noun

hollow (plural hollows)

(geography) A small valley between mountains.
He built himself a cabin in a hollow high up in the Rockies.
- c. 1710–20, Matthew Prior, The First Hymn Of Callimachus: To Jupiter
  Forests grew upon the barren hollows.
- 1820 March 5, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., number VI, New York, N.Y.: […] C[ornelius] S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC, pages 110–111:
  This road leads through a sandy hollow shaded by trees for about a quarter of a mile, where it crosses the bridge famous in goblin story, and just beyond swells the green knoll on which stands the whitewashed church.
- 1855, Alfred Tennyson, “Maud”, in Maud, and Other Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, part I, stanza 1, page 1:
  I hate the dreadful hollow behind the little wood, / Its lips in the field above are dabbled with blood-red heath, / The red-ribb'd hedges drip with a silent horror of blood, / And Echo there, whatever is ask'd her, answers 'Death.'
A sunken area on a surface.
the hollow of the hand
An unfilled space in something solid; a cavity, natural or artificial.
a hollow in a tree trunk
(figuratively) A feeling of emptiness.
a hollow in the pit of one’s stomach

Derived terms

Translations

small valley

Bulgarian: падина (bg) f (padina)
Danish: gryden
Finnish: notko (fi)
French: val (fr) m, vallon (fr) m
Galician: caivanca f, valigoto
German: Mulde (de) f, Senke (de) f, kleines Tal n
Greek: λαγκάδα (el) f (lagkáda), λαγκαδιά (el) f (lagkadiá), λαγκάδι (el) n (lagkádi)
Ancient Greek: λάκκος m (lákkos)
Old Norse: dalr m
Swedish: ravin (sv) c, dalsänka c, sänka (sv) c, grop (sv) c
Welsh: pant m

sunken area

Bulgarian: вдлъбнатина (bg) f (vdlǎbnatina)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 窪地／洼地 (zh) (wādì)
Czech: dutina (cs) f, prohlubeň f
Dutch: laagte (nl) f
Finnish: onkalo (fi), kuoppa (fi), loukko (fi)
Galician: caivanca f, fondal m
Georgian: ღრუ (ɣru)
German: Höhle (de) f, Mulde (de) f, Kuhle (de) f, Vertiefung (de) f
Greek: βαθούλωμα (el) n (vathoúloma), κουφάλα (el) f (koufála), κοιλότητα (el) f (koilótita)
Hindi: गड्ढा (hi) m (gaḍḍhā)
Irish: easca f
Italian: cavità (it) f
Japanese: 窪地 (ja) (kubo-chi)
Latvian: dobums m
Lithuanian: įduba f, duobė f, dauba f
Maori: pārō (of the hand), whārua (of land), whāwhārua (of land), pokorua
Norwegian:
Bokmål: hull (no) n, grop f

Nynorsk: hòl n, grop f
Persian: گود (fa) (gowd)
Plautdietsch: Hollinj f
Polish: nizina (pl) f, niecka (pl) f
Portuguese: depressão (pt) f, caivanca (pt)
Romanian: scorbură (ro) f, scobitură (ro) f, adâncitură (ro) f
Russian: впа́дина (ru) f (vpádina), углубле́ние (ru) n (uglublénije), вы́емка (ru) f (výjemka), я́ма (ru) f (jáma), вы́боина (ru) f (výboina), низи́на (ru) f (nizína)
Scottish Gaelic: sloc m
Spanish: depresión (es) m, hondonada (es) m
Swedish: grop (sv) c, hål (sv) n
Welsh: pant m

unfilled space in something solid; a cavity — see also cavity,‎ hole

Bashkir: ҡыуыш (qıwış)
Bulgarian: коруба (bg) f (koruba)
Finnish: ontelo (fi)
French: creux (fr)
German: Loch (de) n
Hindi: छेद (hi) m (ched)
Hungarian: odú (hu)
Irish: cuas m, cuasán m
Nanai: онголо (oŋolo)
Plautdietsch: Hollinj f
Portuguese: oco (pt)
Russian: (in a tree) дупло́ (ru) n (dupló); по́лость (ru) f (pólostʹ); (technical use) каве́рна (ru) f (kavérna)
Spanish: hueco (es)

feeling of emptiness

Afar: hollow
Czech: prázdnota f
Finnish: onkalo (fi)
Greek: κενό (el) n (kenó)
Hindi: खालीपन (khālīpan), शून्यता (hi) f (śūnyatā)
Japanese: むなしい (ja) (munasī), 虚脱感 (kyodatsukan)
Polish: pustka (pl) f
Portuguese: vazio (pt) m
Romanian: gol (ro) n
Russian: пустота́ (ru) f (pustotá)
Spanish: hueco (es) m, vacío (es) m
Swedish: saknad (sv) c, tomhet (sv) c
Ukrainian: пу́стка f (pústka), пустота́ f (pustotá)

Verb

hollow (third-person singular simple present hollows, present participle hollowing, simple past and past participle hollowed)

(transitive) to make a hole in something; to excavate

Derived terms

hollow out

Etymology 2

From Middle English holowe, holwe, holuȝ, holgh, from the noun (see above).

Adjective

hollow (comparative hollower, superlative hollowest)

(of something solid) Having an empty space or cavity inside.
a hollow tree; a hollow sphere
(of a sound) Distant, eerie; echoing, reverberating, as if in a hollow space; dull, muffled; often low-pitched.
He let out a hollow moan.
- 1903, George Gordon Byron, On Leaving Newstead Abbey:
  Through thy battlements, Newstead, the hollow winds whistle:
(figuratively) Without substance; having no real or significant worth; meaningless.
a hollow victory
(figuratively) Insincere, devoid of validity; specious.
a hollow promise
Concave; gaunt; sunken.
- c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
  To view with hollow eye and wrinkled brow
(gymnastics) Pertaining to hollow body position

Derived terms

Translations

having an empty space inside

Arabic: أَجْوَف (ʔajwaf)
Bashkir: ҡыуыш (qıwış), эсе буш (ese buş)
Belarusian: по́лы (póly), пусты́ (pustý)
Bulgarian: кух (bg) (kuh)
Catalan: buit (ca), balmat (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 空心 (zh) (kōngxīn), 中空 (zh) (zhōngkōng), 空 (zh) (kōng)
Cornish: kow
Czech: dutý (cs) m
Danish: hul (da)
Dutch: hol (nl)
Esperanto: kava
Estonian: õõnes
Finnish: ontto (fi)
French: vide (fr) m or f, creux (fr)
Galician: foco (gl), oco (gl), van (gl), buxán (gl)
Georgian: ცარიელი (carieli)
German: hohl (de)
Greek: κούφιος (el) m (koúfios), κοίλος (el) m (koílos)
Ancient: κοῖλος (koîlos)
Haitian Creole: kre
Hebrew: חָלוּל (he) (khalúl), רֵיק (he) (reyk)
Hindi: खोखला (hi) (khokhlā)
Italian: cavo (it) m
Japanese: 空っぽ (ja) (からっぽ, karappo), くぼんだ (ja) (くぼんだ, kubonda), 中空の (ja) (ちゅうくうの, chūkū no), 虚ろの (ja) (うつろの, utsuro no), 空洞の (ja) (くうどうの, kūdō no)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: بۆش (boş), ھڵۆڵ (hilloll)
Latgalian: tukšs, dīks
Latin: cavus (la), inanis, vacuus
Latvian: tukšs (lv)
Lithuanian: tuščias, tuščiaviduris
Luxembourgish: huel
Macedonian: шуплив (šupliv)
Malayalam: പൊള്ള (ml) (poḷḷa), പൊള്ളയായ (poḷḷayāya)
Maori: kaiwaka
Mapudungun: trotrol
Norwegian:
Bokmål: hul (no), hol (no), innhul

Nynorsk: hol, innhol
Persian: کاواک (fa) (kâvâk), پوک (fa) (puk), توخالی (fa) (tuxâli), کرو (fa) (karv), ونگ (fa) (vang, veng)
Polish: pusty (pl)
Portuguese: vazio (pt) m, oco (pt) m
Punjabi: ਖੋਖਲਾ (khokhlā), ਥੋਥਾ (pa) m (thothā)
Romanian: gol, găunos (ro)
Russian: по́лый (ru) (pólyj), пусто́й (ru) (pustój), поро́жний (ru) (poróžnij)
Scottish Gaelic: falamh
Spanish: hueco (es), ahuecado (es), hundido (es)
Swedish: ihålig (sv)
Tagalog: bamban
Telugu: బోలు (te) (bōlu), డొల్ల (te) (ḍolla)
Tocharian B: tronktse
Ukrainian: поро́жній (poróžnij), пусти́й (pustýj), пустопорожній (uk) (pustoporožnij)
Urdu: کھوکھلا (khokhlā)
Vietnamese: rỗng (vi)
Volapük: kevöfik (vo)
Welsh: cau (cy)
Yiddish: הויל (hoyl), פּוסט (pust), ליידיק (leydik)

echoing, reverberating, as if in a hollow space

Danish: dyb
Finnish: ontto (fi)
Greek: υπόκωφος (el) m (ypókofos)
Japanese: こもった (ja) (こもった, komotta)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: dyp, hul (no)

Nynorsk: djup (nn), hol
Polish: głuchy (pl)
Russian: глухо́й (ru) (gluxój)
Scottish Gaelic: falamh
Spanish: resonante, sordo (es)
Ukrainian: лунки́й (lunkýj)

without substance

Bulgarian: празен (bg) (prazen), безсъдържателен (bg) (bezsǎdǎržatelen)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 空虛／空虚 (zh) (kōngxū)
Czech: bezobsažný (cs) m, nesmyslný (cs) m, prázdný (cs) m
Danish: hul (da)
Dutch: leeg (nl)
Finnish: ontto (fi)
French: insignifiant (fr) m, creux (fr) m
Galician: van (gl)
Greek: κούφιος (el) m (koúfios)
Italian: vacuo (it)
Japanese: 空虚な (ja) (くうきょな, kūkyo na), 不誠実な (ja) (ふせいじつ, fuseijitsu na)
Malayalam: പൊള്ളയായ (poḷḷayāya)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: hul (no)

Nynorsk: hol
Polish: pusty (pl)
Portuguese: vão (pt)
Russian: пусто́й (ru) (pustój), бессодержа́тельный (ru) (bessoderžátelʹnyj)
Scottish Gaelic: falamh
Spanish: hueco (es), falso (es)
Swedish: tom (sv)
Telugu: శుష్క (śuṣka), డొల్ల (te) (ḍolla)
Ukrainian: пустий (pustyj), пустопорожній (uk) (pustoporožnij), беззмістовний (uk) (bezzmistovnyj), празний (praznyj)
Yiddish: פּוסט (pust)

Adverb

hollow (not comparable)

(colloquial) Completely, as part of the phrase beat hollow or beat all hollow.

Etymology 3

Compare holler.

Verb

hollow (third-person singular simple present hollows, present participle hollowing, simple past and past participle hollowed)

To call or urge by shouting; to hollo.
- 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter IV, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume III, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book VII, page 26:
  [T]he Converſation (if it may be called ſo) was ſeldom ſuch as could entertain a Lady. It conſiſted chiefly of Hollowing, Singing, Relations of ſporting Adventures, B—d—y, and Abuſe of Women and of the Government.
- 1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC:
  He has hollowed the hounds.

Interjection

hollow

Alternative form of hollo

References

“hollow”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.