verb / noun
dig
DIG/dɪɡ/
To remove material in order to uncover what lies beneath.
She digs into the earth, lifting soil from the hole.
Etymology
The earliest recorded meaning was making a ditch or other excavation, closely matching today's earth-moving sense. A relationship with dike and ditch is possible, but the word's origin remains uncertain.
In context
in the middle of the night flash begins to make a tunnel to dig his way out of jail
More examples
- We dig carefully around the roots to expose them.
- The archaeological dig reveals fragments of ancient pottery.
- Reporters dig through old records to uncover the truth.
Forms
dig · digs · dug · digging
digger noun — A person or machine that excavates.
Similar words
- excavate
- Usually means removing earth systematically, especially at construction or archaeological sites.
- unearth
- Emphasizes discovering something buried or hidden, rather than removing material.