excavator

[ eks-kuh-vey-ter ]

noun

1. a person or thing that excavates.
2. a power-driven machine for digging, moving, or transporting loose gravel, sand, or soil.
3. a sharp, spoonlike instrument used for scraping out diseased tissue, as in dentistry.

Word History and Origins

Origin of excavator¹

First recorded in 1805–15; excavate + -or ²

Example Sentences

There, Boudreaux said, they found another backhoe and an excavator that had been reported stolen from Kings County.

From Los Angeles Times

The excavator inched after them, its roar slowly fading down the mountain.

From Los Angeles Times

Once the excavator moved away, the Red Cross workers stepped gingerly onto the mound of rubble, their backs stooped as they examined what remained of lives lived in what had been seven apartments.

From Los Angeles Times

The excavator needed to remove large rubble could barely make it up the steep, winding road to the apartment building.

From Los Angeles Times

Odell rented an excavator to slice the bottom of the slope into a cliff, shored up by the dirt excavated for the pool, along with recycled broken concrete and other rubble.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• backhoe
• bulldozer
• digger