backhoe

American  

[bak-hoh] / ˈbækˌhoʊ /

Or back-hoe,

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.

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Etymology

Origin of backhoe

First recorded in 1940–45; back ¹ + hoe

Example Sentences

Rescuers used backhoes, tracking dogs and thermal drones to search for victims, she said.

From Barron's

He said crews were trained to stop work when they find tree roots and switch from using a backhoe to digging by hand to protect them.

From Los Angeles Times

He managed to duck behind them right before a backhoe loader rolled past.

From Literature

She watched as they gave up trying to cut a firebreak, abandoning their bulldozers and backhoes to the fire and running away.

From Literature

Using more than 30 backhoes and bulldozers, miners dug up 1,500 metric tons of earth a day, leaving in their wake a trail of environmental destruction.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bulldozer
• digger