Also spelled diggin
Meanings
-
1
verb
To break up and move earth, especially to make a hole.
They dug a deep ditch along the side of the road.
-
2
verb
To take or get something out of the ground by digging.
In autumn we dig potatoes from the garden.
-
3
verb
To push something firmly into or against something else.
He dug his oars into the water and pulled hard.
-
4
noun
A quick poke with a finger or elbow.
She gave me a sharp dig in the ribs to make me stop talking.
-
5
noun
A place where people dig to uncover ancient remains.
The students spent the summer working at an archaeological dig.
Thesaurus
Common collocations
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…