steam shovel

American  

noun

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

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steam-shovel British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of steam shovel

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80

Example Sentences

Lee and invited reporters to chronicle the blasting of granite with dynamite and the cutting of roads with steam shovels.

From Los Angeles Times

Under siege since the settlers arrived with their draglines and steam shovels and suction-pump dredges, the threats to the southern residents’ home waters have metastasized.

From Seattle Times

But his “aggressively belligerent characteristic” stuck with him after leaving the steam shovels in the Panama Canal, and he ended up in “almost constant controversies,” according to the obituary.

From Washington Times

Now an art world that McCarthy says is usually “moving like a steam shovel” has been stilled, the pandemic has offered a rare chance to look back over older work.

From The Guardian

Developers in the 1950s removed an undocumented number of remains by steam shovel, under the passive eyes of D.C. health inspectors.

From Washington Post