logger

¹ American  

[law-ger, log-er] / ˈlɔ gər, ˈlɒg ər /

noun

1. a person whose work is logging; logging; log; lumberjack.

2. a tractor used in logging. logging. log.

3. a machine for loading logs. log.

---

logger ² American  

[law-ger, log-er] / ˈlɔ gər, ˈlɒg ər /

adjective

Scot.

1. heavy or thick.

2. thick-headed; stupid.

---

logger British  

/ ˈlɒɡə /

noun

1. another word for lumberjack

2. a tractor or crane for handling logs

---

Etymology

Origin of logger¹

An Americanism dating back to 1725–35; log ¹ + -er ¹

Origin of logger²

First recorded in 1665–75; back formation from loggerhead

Explanation

A logger is a person whose job involves cutting down trees. If you like using a chain saw, then maybe you should pursue a career as a logger. If you're a logger, you'll use chain saws to fell trees or split logs into pieces; operate a skidder, which pulls large logs out of the forest; load logs onto trucks, or drive trucks loaded with timber. There's also a different kind of logger in the world of computers, a program that makes it easy to keep a list or record of things. This is closer to the original meaning of logger, "one who enters data in a log."

Example Sentences

The story was distinctly American, about Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker living and working in Washington at the turn of the century.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

“There’s enough logs for us to cut for 1,000 years,” says one cocky young logger, who’s rebuffed by the crusty veteran Arn Peeples, played by a memorable William H. Macy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

“Sometimes you have no other work option and you have to do this out of necessity,” the logger explained.

From New York Times • Jun. 3, 2024

Grizzly tracks are a sure sign for Al McEwan, a fourth-generation farmer and logger in the Pemberton Valley north of Whistler, B.C., who volunteers with the Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear Initiative.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 11, 2023

Tomorrow morning, I'll leave one power logger behind and head south.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir