backhoe

or back-hoe, back hoe

[ bak-hoh ]

noun

1. a hydraulic excavating machine consisting of a tractor having an attached hinged boom, with a bucket with movable jaws on the end of the boom.

Word History and Origins

Origin of backhoe¹

First recorded in 1940–45; back ¹ + hoe

Example Sentences

During an archaeological excavation, the goal is to stop the backhoe before it hits a burial, so the archaeologists look for other clues that remains might be present.

From Science News

The backhoe returned and began to scrape away at the soil layers.

From Science News

As the backhoe dug deeper, wood fragments, glass, pottery shards and artifacts came to the surface.

From Science News

A backhoe removed soil layer by layer, inches at a time, as archaeologists watched carefully for subtle changes in soil color and texture, and for any hint of a burial.

From Science News

As backhoes and tug boats worked around the Panama-flagged Ever Given’s 400-meter-long hull on Thursday evening, experts began to tot up the economic and environmental ramifications of a protracted obstruction.

From Time

Sen. Robert F. Kennedy looked on as Pollard began to disinter the president with the backhoe.

From The Daily Beast

First they set fire to a backhoe and a car, burning them to shells.

From The Daily Beast

Leon drove the van down a dirt trail and stopped near the backhoe, which had finished its digging and was now just waiting.

From The Daily Beast

Behind the church there was a cemetery, and at the far end of it a backhoe had just begun digging the grave.

From The Daily Beast

Related Words

• bulldozer
• digger