digger

[ dig-er ]

noun

1. a person or an animal that digs.
2. a tool, part of a machine, etc., for digging.
3. (initial capital letter) Disparaging. Also called Digger Indian. a member of any of several Indian peoples of western North America, especially of a tribe that dug roots for food.
4. an Australian or New Zealand soldier of World War I.
5. (initial capital letter) English History. a member of a group that advocated the abolition of private property and began in 1649 to cultivate certain common lands.
6. Slang. a person hired by a scalper to buy tickets to a show or performance for resale by the scalper at inflated prices.

Digger

¹

/ ˈdɪɡə /

noun

1. archaic.
   sometimes not capital
   1. an Australian or New Zealander, esp a soldier: often used as a term of address
   2. ( as modifier )

      a Digger accent

2. one of a number of tribes of America whose diet was largely composed of roots dug out of the ground

digger

²

/ ˈdɪɡə /

noun

1. a person, animal, or machine that digs
2. a miner, esp one who digs for gold
3. a tool or part of a machine used for excavation, esp a mechanical digger fitted with a head for digging trenches

Word History and Origins

Origin of digger¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; dig ¹, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Just as they were about to open a third crate, grave diggers chased them off.

From Science News

Several boats have been at work trying to pull the Ever Given away from the banks, while diggers have been seen on the shore trying to move earth.

From Washington Post

Iron deposits along the inside suggest the digger must have been long and slender.

From Science News For Students

Sharing space with tastemakers like Yung Baby Tate, Brent Faiyaz and serpentwithfeet will no doubt add new facets to his own capabilities and inspire him to dig digger into his talent.

From Essence.com

Iron deposits along the inside suggest the digger must have been long and slender and used mucus to reinforce the walls.

From Science News

In straight relationships with an age gap, words like ‘gold-digger’ and ‘trophy wife’ get thrown around.

From The Daily Beast

A “komitetchik par excellence,” a man of “outstanding mediocrity,” and “the grave digger of the revolution.”

From The Daily Beast

You go for your gold-digger lessons, then you go get waxed and tanned.

From The Daily Beast

Was it really, as I suspected, ordered on a whim by some yahoo who was deeply affected by a childhood encounter with Grave Digger?

From The Daily Beast

I tell him all the time, “You know ‘Gold Digger’ is your biggest.”

From The Daily Beast

His drill-like nose, his powerful fore-legs and big, strong feet all served to make him the fastest digger in Pleasant Valley.

From Project Gutenberg

No true worker, be he digger, or divine, blends real work with either smoking or drinking.

From Project Gutenberg

A grave-digger was carrying one of these deceased angels to the churchyard, when he stept into a tavern to take a dram.

From Project Gutenberg

There was little risk of their being interrupted by any honest digger, for it was the middle of the day.

From Project Gutenberg

Robinson also made friends with the women, in particular with one Mary McDogherty, wife of a very unsuccessful digger.

From Project Gutenberg