shovel

[ shuhv-uhl ]

/ ˈʃʌv əl /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: shovel / shovelling on Thesaurus.com

noun

an implement consisting of a broad blade or scoop attached to a long handle, used for taking up, removing, or throwing loose matter, as earth, snow, or coal.

any fairly large contrivance or machine with a broad blade or scoop for taking up or removing loose matter: a steam shovel.

a shovelful.

Informal. shovel hat.

verb (used with object), shov·eled, shov·el·ing or (especially British) shov·elled, shov·el·ling.

to take up and cast or remove with a shovel: to shovel coal.

to gather up in large quantity roughly or carelessly with or as if with a shovel: He shoveled food into his mouth.

to dig or clear with or as if with a shovel: to shovel a path through the snow.

verb (used without object), shov·eled, shov·el·ing or (especially British) shov·elled, shov·el·ling.

to work with a shovel.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of shovel

before 900; Middle English schovel,Old English scofl; cognate with Dutch schoffel hoe; akin to German Schaufel shovel

OTHER WORDS FROM shovel

un·shov·eled, adjectiveun·shov·elled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use shovel in a sentence

Any backcountry traveler will tell you that a beacon, probe, and shovel are the three most important pieces of avy gear in your kit.
A Beginner’s Guide to Splitboarding|Amelia Arvesen|December 26, 2020|Outside Online
A shovel in the trunk offers a way to scoop your way out of that problem, and this aluminum one comes apart in three different pieces so it takes up less room.
Gifts that every car owner should have|Rob Verger|December 18, 2020|Popular-Science
I don’t mean the rule-based play of a board game or the competitive play of a soccer match, but rather the kind of freewheeling, unstructured play that children perform with a pile of LEGO blocks or with toy shovels and buckets in a sandbox.
Why It Pays to Play Around - Issue 94: Evolving|Andreas Wagner|December 16, 2020|Nautilus
When there's snow in the driveway, I get my shovel and throw some snow in the garage and brush it out.
Hints From Heloise: Overloading your outlets? You may risk an electrical ﬁre.|Heloise Heloise|December 3, 2020|Washington Post

This all-purpose shovel weighs less than five pounds, making it easier to handle over long days of work.
Shovels you’ll definitely dig|PopSci Commerce Team|October 18, 2020|Popular-Science
Fire-fighting, hunger-striking, snow-shoveling U.S. Senator Cory Booker is up to something new this holiday season: veganism.
Talking Tofurky With Newly Vegan Cory Booker|Vlad Chituc|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But conservatism now feels a lot like liberalism did in 1984 and 1985, back when I was futilely shoveling away that snow.
The Case for Transformation|Michael Tomasky|January 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And they are putting the tools to work, shoveling cash out the door in the form of (lightly taxed until Jan. 1, 2013) dividends.
Fiscal Cliff Countdown, Day 30: Senate Meets Dada|Daniel Gross|December 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST
And companies are shoveling dividends out to their shareholders before the taxman comes calling.
Fiscal Cliff Fears Drive Huge Spike in Dividend Payouts|Matthew Zeitlin|November 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
“At that time, Mr. Borcina cleaned out the fireplace, shoveling the ash into a paper bag,” Cohen says.
Madonna Badger’s ‘Today’ Interview Shouldn’t Ignore Fire’s Tragic Lessons|Michael Daly|June 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He felt inclined to wonder why he did it, as he had not found shoveling gravel anything like so difficult.
The Gold Trail|Harold Bindloss
Immediately she stooped and began shoveling up the broken glass.
The Happy Unfortunate|Robert Silverberg
Franz turned back to his shoveling, fastening his heart and mind on the one ray of hope that remained to him.
Rescue Dog of the High Pass|James Arthur Kjelgaard
Ahead of him and close to the hill he saw a hut with a man who was shoveling snow from the front of it.
A Treasury of Eskimo Tales|Clara Kern Bayliss
Kerk was shoveling his way through his third dessert when his alarm watch gave a tiny hum.
Deathworld|Harry Harrison

British Dictionary definitions for shovel

shovel

/ (ˈʃʌvəl) /

noun

an instrument for lifting or scooping loose material, such as earth, coal, etc, consisting of a curved blade or a scoop attached to a handle

any machine or part resembling a shovel in action

Also called: shovelful the amount that can be contained in a shovel

short for shovel hat

verb -els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled

to lift (earth, etc) with a shovel

(tr) to clear or dig (a path) with or as if with a shovel

(tr) to gather, load, or unload in a hurried or careless wayhe shovelled the food into his mouth and rushed away

Derived forms of shovel

shoveller or US shoveler, noun

Word Origin for shovel

Old English scofl; related to Old High German scūfla shovel, Dutch schoffel hoe; see shove

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

shovel

Origin of shovel

OTHER WORDS FROM shovel

Words related to shovel

How to use shovel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for shovel

Derived forms of shovel

Word Origin for shovel