noun / verb
cage
KAYJ/keɪdʒ/
A barred enclosure for animals or people, or to confine them in one.
The bird rests on a perch inside the wire cage.
Etymology
Latin cavea could mean both a hollow place and an enclosure for animals or prisoners. Cage preserves the confinement sense; its relative cave preserves the hollow-space sense.
In context
If your hamster is biting the cage bars or acting frantic, it may be a sign of stress, boredom, or a too-small enclosure.
More examples
- Rescuers temporarily caged the injured animal for transport.
- The empty cage had a secure metal door.
- The story describes prisoners caged beneath the fortress.
Forms
cage · cages · caged · caging
Similar words
- pen
- An enclosure often open above, while cage usually has bars or mesh around it.