steam shovel

noun

a machine for digging or excavating, operated by its own engine and boiler.

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Origin of steam shovel

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80

Words nearby steam shovel

steam locomotive, steam organ, steam point, steam reforming, steam room, steam shovel, steam table, steam trap, steam turbine, steam up, steam whistle
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for steam-shovel

British Dictionary definitions for steam-shovel

steam-shovel

noun

a steam-driven mechanical excavator, esp one having a large bucket or grab on a beam slung from a revolving jib
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