cave lion

Cave \Cave\ (k[=a]v), n. [F. cave, L. cavus hollow, whence cavea
   cavity. Cf. {Cage}.]
   1. A hollow place in the earth, either natural or artificial;
      a subterraneous cavity; a cavern; a den.
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   2. Any hollow place, or part; a cavity. [Obs.] "The cave of
      the ear." --Bacon.
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   3. (Eng. Politics) A coalition or group of seceders from a
      political party, as from the Liberal party in England in
      1866. See {Adullam}, {Cave of}, in the Dictionary of Noted
      Names in Fiction.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   {Cave bear} (Zool.), a very large fossil bear ({Ursus
      spel[ae]us}) similar to the grizzly bear, but large;
      common in European caves.

   {Cave dweller}, a savage of prehistoric times whose dwelling
      place was a cave. --Tylor.

   {Cave hyena} (Zool.), a fossil hyena found abundanty in
      British caves, now usually regarded as a large variety of
      the living African spotted hyena.

   {Cave lion} (Zool.), a fossil lion found in the caves of
      Europe, believed to be a large variety of the African
      lion.

   {Bone cave}. See under {Bone}.
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