navvy

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A laborer on a civil engineering project such as a canal or railroad.
  2. an unskilled laborer
verb
  1. To carry out physical labor on a civil engineering project.

Pronunciation

/ˈnævi/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-navvy.wav

Word forms

navvy navvies navvying navvied

Etymology

Clipping of navigator, in reference to the navigation canals upon which these workers first toiled, + -y.

Related words

Derived words

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.