English Explanatory Dictionary

dig

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To move hard-packed earth out of the way, especially downward to make a hole with a shovel. Or to drill, or the like, through rocks, roads, or the like. More generally, to make any similar hole by moving material out of the way.
  2. To get by digging; to take from the ground; often with up.
  3. To take ore from its bed, in distinction from making excavations in search of ore.
  4. To work like a digger; to study ploddingly and laboriously.
  5. To investigate, to research, often followed by out or up.
  6. To thrust; to poke.
  7. To defend against an attack hit by the opposing team by successfully passing the ball
noun
  1. An archeological or paleontological investigation, or the site where such an investigation is taking place.
  2. A thrust; a poke.
  3. A hard blow, especially (boxing) a straight left-hander delivered under the opponent's guard.
  4. A defensive pass of the ball that has been attacked by the opposing team.
  5. An innings.
  6. A cutting, sarcastic remark.
  7. The occupation of digging for gold.
  8. A plodding and laborious student.
  9. A tool for digging.
  10. A rare or interesting vinyl record bought second-hand.
verb
  1. To understand.
  2. To appreciate, or like.
noun
  1. Digoxin.
noun
  1. A duck.
noun
  1. Initialism of dwarf irregular galaxy.
noun
  1. dwarf irregular galaxy

Pronunciation

/dɪɡ/ en-us-dig.ogg /dɪd͡ʒ/

Word forms

dig digs digging dug digged

Etymology

From Middle English diggen (“to dig”, 13th c.), an alteration of dīken, from Old English dīcian (“to dig a ditch, mound up earth”), from Proto-West Germanic *dīkōn, which see for cognates. This verb is denominal from Proto-Germanic *dīkaz (“pool, puddle; dyke, ditch”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- (“to stab, dig”). The form with g may have been influenced by Old French *diguer, a variant of dikier, itself from the West Germanic verb above. French forms with g are attested only in the 15th c., thus 200 years later than in English. On the other hand, French has according forms also for the underlying noun (cf. digue) and the phonetic development is more plausible in French than in English.

Synonyms

excavation jab jibe dI

Related words

cratedigger digs infra dig dE DEG dSph Irr IrG Sm Im

Derived words

crate-dig dig a hole for oneself dig around dig deep dig down dig for victory diggable diggety dig in dig in one's heels dig into dig oneself in a hole dig oneself into a hole dig one's grave with a fork dig one's grave with a fork and spoon dig one's heels in dig one's own grave dig out dig out of a hole dig over dig round dig up dig up dirt dig yourself double dig gold-dig he who digs a pit for others falls in himself misdig redig underdig undig dig box dig on
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