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View synonyms for eager beaver

eager beaver

[ ee-ger ]

noun

  1. a person who is excessively diligent or overly zealous.


eager beaver

noun

  1. informal.
    a person who displays conspicuous diligence, esp one who volunteers for extra work
“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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Word History and Origins

Origin of eager beaver1

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45
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Idioms and Phrases

An exceptionally zealous person, one who habitually takes on more tasks or works harder than others. For example, Bill is a real eager beaver, always volunteering to stay late . This expression became especially popular during World War II, applied to recruits anxious to impress their commanding officers by such behavior. [First half of 1900s]
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Example Sentences

Staying late would give her the reputation of an eager beaver, and that would make her unpopular.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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