digger

[dig-er]

noun

1. a person or an animal that digs.

2. a tool, part of a machine, etc., for digging.

3. Also called Digger Indian. (initial capital letter),  a member of any of several Indian peoples of western North America, especially of a tribe that dug roots for food.

4. an Australian or New Zealand soldier of World War I.

5. (initial capital letter),  a member of a group that advocated the abolition of private property and began in 1649 to cultivate certain common lands.

6. Slang.,  a person hired by a scalper to buy tickets to a show or performance for resale by the scalper at inflated prices.

Digger

¹

/ ˈdɪɡə /

noun

1. archaic,  (sometimes not capital)

   1. an Australian or New Zealander, esp a soldier: often used as a term of address

   2. ( as modifier )

      a Digger accent

2. one of a number of tribes of America whose diet was largely composed of roots dug out of the ground

digger

²

/ ˈdɪɡə /

noun

1. a person, animal, or machine that digs

2. a miner, esp one who digs for gold

3. a tool or part of a machine used for excavation, esp a mechanical digger fitted with a head for digging trenches

Word History and Origins

Origin of digger¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; dig ¹, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Mr Haybourne says his team regularly carries out operations at the Port of Dover, to search for stolen cars, caravans, quad bikes, farm vehicles, diggers and other agricultural machinery.

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As they worked their way forward, diggers passed out from lack of oxygen and had to be dragged back by their heels.

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The ground floors of some buildings are propped up by scaffolding and appear on the verge of collapse and in some areas rubble is piled high as diggers continue the reconstruction work.

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Low-loader lorries flying the Egyptian flag transported bulldozers and mechanical diggers into Gaza, accompanied by tipper trucks sounding their horns and flashing their lights, en route to an Egyptian aid committee based in Al Zawayda.

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The Palestinian group accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of impeding its ability to search for hostages' remains by not allowing heavy machinery and diggers into Gaza.

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