dig
Forms
- present (v1)
- dig
- past (v2)
- dug
- past participle (v3)
- dug
- present participle
- digging
- 3rd person singular
- digs
- Plural
- digs
Definitions
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.
- They dug an eight-foot ditch along the side of the road.
- In the wintertime, heavy truck tires dig into the road, forming potholes.
- If the plane can't pull out of the dive it is in, it'll dig a hole in the ground.
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 investigate, to research, often followed by out or up.
1.An archeological or paleontological investigation, or the site where such an investigation is taking place.
2.Any act of digging to find or retrieve something.
3.A thrust; a poke.
- He guffawed and gave me a dig in the ribs after telling his latest joke.
4.A defensive pass of the ball that has been attacked by the opposing team.
Frequency
Overall
Uncommon· #2342
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Uncommon
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
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”).