1. A hollow space; hole. See cave, c., cavitas, cavernous space. 2. Lay term for the loss of tooth structure due to dental caries. SYN: cavum [TA], cavitas. [L. cavus, hollow]
- abdominal c. [TA] the space bounded by the abdominal walls, the diaphragm, and the pelvis; it usually is arbitrarily separated from the pelvic c. by a plane across the superior aperture of the pelvis; however, it may include the pelvis with the abdomen (see abdominopelvic c.); within the cavitas lie the greater part of the organs of digestion, the spleen, the kidneys, and the suprarenal glands. SYN: cavitas abdominalis [TA], cavum abdominis, enterocele (2).
- abdominopelvic c. [TA] the combined and continuous abdominal and pelvic cavities. SEE ALSO: abdominal c.. SYN: cavitas abdominis et pelvis [TA].
- articular c. [TA] a joint c., the potential space bounded by the synovial membrane and articular cartilages of all synovial joints. Normally, the articular c. contains only sufficient synovial fluid to lubricate the internal surfaces. SYN: cavitas articularis [TA], cavum articulare.
- body c. the collective visceral c. of the trunk (thoracic c. plus abdominopelvic c.), bounded by the superior thoracic aperture above, the pelvic floor below, and the body walls (parietes) in between. SYN: celom (2), celoma, coelom.
- cleavage c. SYN: blastocele.
- c. of concha [TA] the space within the lower, larger portion of the concha below the crus helicis; it forms the vestibule leading into the external acoustic meatus. SYN: cavitas conchae [TA], cavum conchae.
- cotyloid c. SYN: acetabulum.
- cranial c. [TA] the space within the skull occupied by the brain, its coverings, and cerebrospinal fluid. SYN: cavitas cranii [TA], intracranial c..
- ectoplacental c. SYN: epamniotic c..
- ectotrophoblastic c. a developmental c. appearing between the trophoblast and the embryonic disk ectoderm in some mammals.
- epamniotic c. a developmental c. that exists in some mammals and is derived by division of the proamniotic space; it is further removed from the embryo than the amniotic c. in some mammals. SYN: ectoplacental c..
- glenoid c. SYN: mandibular fossa.
- glenoid c. of scapula [TA] the hollow in the head of the scapula that receives the head of the humerus to make the shoulder joint; SYN: cavitas glenoidalis scapulae [TA], glenoid fossa (1).
- greater peritoneal c. SYN: peritoneal c..
- head c. the cephalic region in the embryos of vertebrates containing the modified somites that give rise to the extrinsic eye muscles.
- infraglottic c. [TA] the part of the c. of the larynx immediately below the glottis. SYN: cavitas infraglottica [TA], aditus glottidis inferior, cavitas infraglotticum, cavum infraglotticum, inferior laryngeal c., infraglottic space.
- intermediate laryngeal c. portion of the c. of the larynx between the vestibular and vocal folds, with which the ventricles communicate. SYN: aditus glottidis superior.
- intracranial c. SYN: cranial c..
- laryngeal c. [TA] a c. that is continuous above with the pharynx at the level of the aryepiglottic folds and extends downward through the rima glottidis to the infraglottic space. SYN: cavitas laryngis [TA], c. of larynx, cavum laryngis.
- Meckel c. SYN: trigeminal cave.
- medullary c. [TA] the marrow c. in the shaft of a long bone. SYN: cavitas medullaris [TA], cavum medullare.
- nasal c. [TA] the c. on either side of the nasal septum, lined with ciliated respiratory mucosa, extending from the naris anteriorly to the choana posteriorly, and communicating with the paranasal sinuses through their orifices in the lateral wall, from which also project the three conchae; the cribriform plate, through which the olfactory nerves are transmitted, forms the roof; the floor is formed by the hard palate. SYN: cavitas nasi [TA], cavum nasi.
- nephrotomic c. SYN: nephrocele (2).
- oral c. [TA] the region consisting of the vestibulum oris, the narrow cleft between the lips and cheeks, and the teeth and gums, and the cavitas oris propria. SYN: cavitas oris [TA], cavum oris, mouth (1).
- oral c. proper [TA] the space between the dental arches, limited posteriorly by the isthmus of the fauces (palatoglossal arch). SYN: cavitas oris propria [TA].
- pelvic c. [TA] the space bounded at the sides by the bones of the pelvis, above by the superior aperture of the pelvis, and below by the pelvic diaphragm; it contains the pelvic viscera. SYN: cavitas pelvis [TA], cavitas pelvina, cavum pelvis.
- pericardial c. [TA] 1. the potential space between the parietal and the visceral layers of the serous pericardium; 2. in the embryo, that part of the primary celom containing the heart; originally it is in open communication with the pericardioperitoneal cavities and indirectly, through them, with the peritoneal part of the celom. SYN: cavitas pericardiaca [TA], cavum pericardii.
- peritoneal c. [TA] the interior of the peritoneal sac, normally only a potential space between the parietal and visceral layers of the peritoneum. SYN: cavitas peritonealis [TA], cavum peritonei, greater peritoneal c..
- perivisceral c. the space between the ectoderm and endoderm in the gastrula. SYN: primitive perivisceral c..
- pharyngonasal c. SYN: nasopharynx.
- c. of pharynx [TA] it consists of a nasal part (nasopharynx) continuous anteriorly with the nasal c. and receiving the openings of the auditory tubes, an oral part (oropharynx) opening through the fauces into the oral c., and a laryngeal part (laryngopharynx) leading into the vestibule of the larynx and to the esophagus. SYN: cavitas pharyngis [TA], cavum pharyngis.
- pleural c. [TA] the potential space between the parietal and visceral layers of the pleura. SYN: cavitas pleuralis [TA], cavum pleurae, pleural space.
- pleuroperitoneal c. that part of the embryonic celom later partitioned to give rise to the pleural and peritoneal cavities.
- pulmonary c. one of the bilateral subdivisions of the thoracic c. lying on either side of the mediastinum, lined with parietal pleura and occupied by a lung; the space existing when a lung is removed. The term is not synonymous with pleural c., which is a space between the parietal and visceral pleura that is normally empty except for a fine layer of pleural fluid and that surrounds (but does not contain) the lung.
- pulp c. [TA] the central hollow of a tooth consisting of the crown c. and the root canal; it contains the fibrovascular dental pulp and is lined throughout by odontoblasts. SYN: cavitas dentis [TA], cavitas pulparis, c. of tooth, cavum dentis.
- pulp c. of crown [TA] the space within the crown of a tooth continuous with the root canal. SYN: cavitas coronalis, cavum coronale, crown c..
- Retzius c. SYN: retropubic space.
- segmentation c. SYN: blastocele.
- c. of septum pellucidum a slitlike, fluid-filled space of variable width between the left and right transparent septum, which occurs in fewer than 10% of human brains and may communicate with the third ventricle. SYN: cavum septum pellucidum [TA], Duncan ventricle, fifth ventricle, pseudocele, pseudoventricle, sylvian ventricle, ventricle of Sylvius, ventriculus quintus, Vieussens ventricle, Wenzel ventricle.
- subarachnoid c. SYN: subarachnoid space.
- subgerminal c. SYN: primitive gut.
- thoracic c. [TA] the space within the thoracic walls, bounded below by the diaphragm and above by the neck. SYN: cavitas thoracis [TA], cavum thoracis.
- trigeminal c. trigeminal cave.
- tympanic c. [TA] an air chamber in the temporal bone containing the ossicles; it is lined with mucous membrane and is continuous with the auditory tube anteriorly and the tympanic antrum and mastoid air cells posteriorly. SYN: cavitas tympanica [TA], c. of middle ear, cavum tympani.
- uterine c., c. of uterus [TA] the space within the uterus extending from the cervical canal to the openings of the uterine tubes. SYN: cavitas uteri [TA], cavum uteri.
- visceral c. SYN: splanchnic c..
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2) an area of decay in a tooth: CARIES
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n.
1. (in anatomy) a hollow enclosed area; for example, the abdominal cavity or the buccal cavity (mouth).
a) the hole in a tooth caused by caries or abrasion.
b) the hole shaped in a tooth by a dentist to retain a filling.
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cav·i·ty (kavґĭ-te) [L. cavitas] 1. a hollow place or space, or a potential space, within the body or in one of its organs; it may be normal (called cavitas in anatomical nomenclature) or pathological (see cavitation). See also pocket, pouch, and recess. Called also cave, cavern, caverna, and cavum. 2. the lesion, or area of destruction in a tooth, produced by dental caries; classified as simple, compound, or complex, according to the number of surfaces involved. See also dental caries, under caries. 3. prepared c.Medical dictionary. 2011.