hollow definition - Dictionary - MSN Encarta

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hollow

hol·low [ hóllō ]

adjective (comparative hol·low·er, superlative hol·low·est)

Definition:

1. not solid: having empty space inside

a hollow tree trunk

2. concave: sunk deep into the surface of something

3. not full-toned: resonating or echoing as if in an empty space

a hollow, booming sound

4. insincere: not sincere or genuine

a hollow laugh

5. meaningless: lacking meaning or substance

a hollow victory

6. hungry: having the feeling of an empty stomach

noun (plural hol·lows)

Definition:

1. cavity: a hollow or concave place or area

held the chick in the hollow of his hand

2. small shallow valley: a sunken or low-lying area of ground

verb (past and past participle hol·lowed, present participle hol·low·ing, 3rd person present singular hol·lows)

Definition:

1. transitive verb make cavity in something: to form a concave area or cavity in something by removing contents

2. transitive and intransitive verb make or become hollowed: to make something hollow, or become hollow

hollow out a pumpkin

adverb

Definition:

hollowly: in a hollow way

Their voices rang hollow in the emptied streets.

[ Old English holh "hollow place, hole, cave," related to hole]

hol·low·ly adverb

hol·low·ness noun

Cultural Note


	The Hollow Men, a poem (1925) by U.S.-born British writer T. S. Eliot. One of Eliot's most pessimistic works, it depicts a barren, ghostly land peopled by soulless beings. Its imagery and concern with the sterility of modern civilization link it to "The Waste Land," but in "The Hollow Men" the message, conveyed in short lines and repetitive phrases, is more direct and bereft of any hope of redemption. The oft-quoted words "This is the way the world ends/ Not with a bang but a whimper" come from this poem.

Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

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