dig

[ dig ]

/ dɪg /

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verb (used without object), dug

[duhg] /dʌg/ or (Archaic) digged

[digd], /dɪgd/, dig·ging.

to break up, turn over, or remove earth, sand, etc., as with a shovel, spade, bulldozer, or claw; make an excavation.

to make one's way or work by or as by removing or turning over material: to dig through the files.

verb (used with object), dug

[duhg] /dʌg/ or (Archaic) digged

[digd], /dɪgd/, dig·ging.

to break up, turn over, or loosen (earth, sand, etc.), as with a shovel, spade, or bulldozer (often followed by up).

to form or excavate (a hole, tunnel, etc.) by removing material.

to unearth, obtain, or remove by digging (often followed by up or out).

to find or discover by effort or search.

to poke, thrust, or force (usually followed by in or into): He dug his heel into the ground.

noun

thrust; poke: He gave me a dig in the ribs with his elbow.

a cutting, sarcastic remark.

an archaeological site undergoing excavation.

digs, Informal. living quarters; lodgings.

Verb Phrases

dig in,

to dig trenches, as in order to defend a position in battle.
to maintain one's opinion or position.
to start eating.

dig into, Informal. to attack, work, or apply oneself voraciously, vigorously, or energetically: to dig into one's work;to dig into a meal.

dig out,

to remove earth or debris from by digging.
to hollow out by digging.
to find by searching: to dig out facts for a term paper.

dig up,

to discover in the course of digging.
to locate; find: to dig up information.

QUIZ

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Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

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Origin of dig

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English diggen, deggen; perhaps from Middle French diguer “to dig,” from the same Germanic source as ditch

Words nearby dig

diffusivity, diffusor, difluence, diflunisal, difunctional, dig, Digambara, digamma, digamy, digastric, Digby

Other definitions for dig (2 of 3)

dig²

[ dig ]

/ dɪg /

verb (used with object), dug, dig·ging.Slang.

to understand: Can you dig what I'm saying?

to take notice of: Dig those shoes he's wearing.

to like, love, or enjoy: She digs that kind of music. We really dig each other.

Origin of dig

First recorded in 1935–40; origin uncertain; perhaps the same as dig¹

Other definitions for dig (3 of 3)

dig.

abbreviation

digest.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dig in a sentence

In another, she digs into the mythology and fetishization of mermaids.
A New Podcast Explores Sex in the Great Outdoors|Heather Hansman|February 12, 2021|Outside Online
This time we’re digging into Techstars’ latest three accelerator classes.
TechCrunch’s favorites from Techstars’ Boston, Chicago and workforce accelerators|Greg Kumparak|February 11, 2021|TechCrunch
Any SEO will tell you that an automated auditing tool won’t tell you nearly as much as a person with expertise digging into your website.
Google hiding addresses in local pack and should you write meta descriptions: Tuesday’s daily brief|Carolyn Lyden|February 9, 2021|Search Engine Land
In today’s essay, I dig into the big Tesla-Bitcoin news and tease out what it may mean for ESG investors, a true force on Wall Street.
Bitcoin $50K? With Tesla now on board, crypto bulls say the sky’s the limit|Bernhard Warner|February 9, 2021|Fortune

So we’ll want to look for ice we can dig out from under the surface at lower latitudes.
These might be the best places for future Mars colonists to look for ice|Neel Patel|February 8, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Isaacs recently returned from the New Mexico desert after shooting interior scenes for a new TV mini-series called Dig.
After The Fall: Introducing The Anti-Villain|Rich Goldstein|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Over the next 36 years, he would dig a 2,087-foot tunnel that led absolutely nowhere.
The Mole Man’s Tunnel to Nowhere|Nina Strochlic|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For a few hours every day she would read big books at the library, watch reruns of the show, and dig through questions in the J!
Jeopardy! Champion Julia Collins’s Brain Feels Like Mush|Sujay Kumar|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This gave the Germans time to stabilize and dig in on the “hedgerow front” before St. Lô.
Blood in the Sand: When James Jones Wrote a Grunt’s View of D-Day|James Jones|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When I was young, I loved to dig and find and collect fossils.
The Real-Life Raiders of the Lost Ark|Alex Belth|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And if he was worried about Farmer Green's cat, why didn't he dig a hole for himself at once, and get out of harm's way?
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
When a besieged city suspects a mine, do not the inhabitants dig underground, and meet their enemy at his work?
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
Half-fed men would dig for diamonds, and men sheltered by a crazy roof erect the marble walls of palaces.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
There was only one reason why Billy Woodchuck didn't exactly care to dig a new home for himself in the pasture just then.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
They do not have to plow or dig, or perform any other cultivation than that of clearing the land where they are to plant.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various

British Dictionary definitions for dig (1 of 2)

dig

/ (dɪɡ) /

verb digs, digging or dug

(when tr, often foll by up) to cut into, break up, and turn over or remove (earth, soil, etc), esp with a spade

to form or excavate (a hole, tunnel, passage, etc) by digging, usually with an implement or (of animals) with feet, claws, etcto dig a tunnel

(often foll by through) to make or force (one's way), esp by removing obstructionshe dug his way through the crowd

(tr; often foll by out or up) to obtain by diggingto dig potatoes; to dig up treasure

(tr; often foll by out or up) to find or discover by effort or searchingto dig out unexpected facts

(tr; foll by in or into) to thrust or jab (a sharp instrument, weapon, etc); pokehe dug his spurs into the horse's side

(tr; foll by in or into) to mix (compost, etc) with soil by digging

(tr) informal to like, understand, or appreciate

(intr) US slang to work hard, esp for an examination

(intr) British informal to have lodgingsI dig in South London

noun

the act of digging

a thrust or poke, esp in the ribs

a cutting or sarcastic remark

informal an archaeological excavation

Word Origin for dig

C13 diggen, of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for dig (2 of 2)

Dig

/ (dɪɡ) /

noun

NZ informal short for Digger (def. 1)

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

dig

Origin of dig

Words nearby dig

Other definitions for dig (2 of 3)

Origin of dig

Other definitions for dig (3 of 3)

Words related to dig

How to use dig in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dig (1 of 2)

Word Origin for dig

British Dictionary definitions for dig (2 of 2)