dig

Meanings

1. 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. 2
   verb

   To take or get something out of the ground by digging.

   In autumn we dig potatoes from the garden.

3. 3
   verb

   To push something firmly into or against something else.

   He dug his oars into the water and pulled hard.

4. 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. 5
   noun

   A place where people dig to uncover ancient remains.

   The students spent the summer working at an archaeological dig.

Common collocations

• dig a hole Verb + noun

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…

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images