excavator
[ eks-kuh-vey-ter ]
/ ˈɛks kəˌveɪ tər /
noun
a person or thing that excavates.
a power-driven machine for digging, moving, or transporting loose gravel, sand, or soil.
a sharp, spoonlike instrument used for scraping out diseased tissue, as in dentistry.
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Words nearby excavator
ex cathedra, excaudate, excavate, excavation, excavation of optic disk, excavator, Excedrin, exceed, exceedance, exceeding, exceedingly
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for excavator
British Dictionary definitions for excavator
excavator
/ (ˈɛkskəˌveɪtə) /
noun
a powered machine for digging earth, gravel, sand, etc, esp a caterpillar tractor so equipped
any person, animal, or thing that excavates
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
Medical definitions for excavator
excavator
[ ĕk′skə-vā′tər ]
n.
An instrument, such as a sharp spoon or curette, used in scraping out pathological tissue.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.