pick-and-shovel
[ pik-uhn-shuhv-uhl ]
/ ˈpɪk ənˈʃʌv əl /
adjective
marked by drudgery; laborious: the pick-and-shovel work necessary to get a political campaign underway.
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?
Origin of pick-and-shovel
First recorded in 1890–95
Words nearby pick-and-shovel
pickaback plant, pick a bone with, pick and choose, pick and mix, pick-and-roll, pick-and-shovel, pickaninny, pick apart, pick a quarrel, pickaroon, pick at
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021