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digger

[ dig-er ]
/ ˈdɪg ər /
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noun
a person or an animal that digs.
a tool, part of a machine, etc., for digging.
(initial capital letter)Disparaging.Also called Digger Indian . a member of any of several Indian peoples of western North America, especially of a tribe that dug roots for food.
an Australian or New Zealand soldier of World War I.
(initial capital letter)English History. a member of a group that advocated the abolition of private property and began in 1649 to cultivate certain common lands.
Slang. a person hired by a scalper to buy tickets to a show or performance for resale by the scalper at inflated prices.
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Origin of digger

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at dig1, -er1

historical usage of digger

White settlers in the latter half of the 19th century used the term Digger to refer especially to the Ute, Paiute, or Western Shoshone, who foraged and dug in the ground for edible wild plants. The term implies that these Indians were considered to be primitive and animal-like.

Words nearby digger

digestive biscuit, digestive gland, digestive system, digestive tract, digged, digger, Digger pine, Diggers, digger wasp, diggings, digging stick
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to digger

miner, mole, spade

How to use digger in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for digger (1 of 2)

digger
/ (ˈdɪɡə) /
noun
a person, animal, or machine that digs
a miner, esp one who digs for gold
a tool or part of a machine used for excavation, esp a mechanical digger fitted with a head for digging trenches

British Dictionary definitions for digger (2 of 2)

Digger
/ (ˈdɪɡə) /
noun
(sometimes not capital) archaic, slang
  1. an Australian or New Zealander, esp a soldier: often used as a term of address
  2. (as modifier)a Digger accent
one of a number of tribes of America whose diet was largely composed of roots dug out of the ground
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
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