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excavator

American  
[eks-kuh-vey-ter] / ˈɛks kəˌveɪ tər /

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.


excavator British  
/ ˈɛkskəˌveɪtə /

noun

  1. a powered machine for digging earth, gravel, sand, etc, esp a caterpillar tractor so equipped

  2. any person, animal, or thing that excavates

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of excavator

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She went on to pen two prize-winning children’s books, Somebody, or Waterheart and another novel, Storie-e-es of Eka the Excavator.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 3, 2023

Excavator owners were urged to dig so the enemy couldn’t pass.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2022

Last year Excavator LeTourneau's depression-reared company turned in a record net of $1,816,471 on $7,731,325 gross sales.

From Time Magazine Archive

Greg rigged himself up as an Excavator We hoped the Bottle Man would like the letter “Hang on, Chris!”

From Us and the Bottleman by Price, Edith Ballinger

The day Aunt Ailsa really laughed was when Greg rigged himself up as an Excavator.

From Us and the Bottleman by Price, Edith Ballinger

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