logger

¹ American  

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

noun

1. a person whose work is logging; lumberjack.

2. a tractor used in logging.

3. a machine for loading logs.

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logger ² American  

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

adjective

Scot.

1. heavy or thick.

2. thick-headed; stupid.

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logger British  

/ ˈlɒɡə /

noun

1. another word for lumberjack

2. a tractor or crane for handling logs

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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

One thing to know: This Sundance Film Festival hit about the life and sorrows of a logger in early 20th-century America is based on a novella by Denis Johnson.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

He plays a logger in the Pacific Northwest.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 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

Surgery and hospitalization account for six months of that year; the remainder he spent recuperating in the forest home, near Bellingham, of a young Indian logger and fisherman.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote