dig Hear it!

dig¹ Definition

dig (dig)

transitive verb dug, dig′·ging

  1. to break and turn up or remove (ground, etc.) with a spade or other tool, or with hands, claws, snout, etc.
  2. to make (a hole, cellar, one's way, etc.) by or as by doing this
  3. to uncover and get from the ground or another surface in this way to dig potatoes, to dig a nail out of a board
  4. ☆ to find out, as by careful study or investigation; unearth: usually with up or out to dig out the truth
  5. to thrust, jab, or prod to dig an elbow into someone's ribs
  6. ☆ Slang
    1. to understand
    2. to approve of or like
    3. to notice; look at dig that shirt!

Etymology: ME diggen < Anglo-Fr *diguer < OFr digue, dike < Du dijk: see dike

intransitive verb

  1. to dig the ground or any surface
  2. to make a way by or as by digging (through, into, under)
  3. ☆ Informal to work or study hard

noun

  1. the act of digging
  2. Informal a thrust, poke, nudge, etc.
  3. Informal a sarcastic comment; taunt; gibe
  4. an archaeological excavation or its site
  5. Chiefly Brit., Informal living quarters; lodgings

dig¹ Idioms

dig in

  1. to dig trenches or foxholes for cover
  2. to entrench oneself
  3. Informal
    1. to begin to work intensively
    2. to begin eating

dig in one's heels

Informal to refuse to give up or modify one's opinion, policy, attitude, etc., esp. when faced with opposition

dig into

  1. to penetrate by or as by digging
  2. Informal to work hard at

dig² Definition

dig

digest

dig Synonyms

dig

n.

  1. Insult

    gibe, taunt, innuendo, cut; see insult, ridicule.

  2. Excavation

    digging, archaeological expedition, exploration; see excavation 1, expedition 2, hole 2, 3.

dig Synonyms

dig

v.

  1. To stir the earth

    delve, shovel, spade, mine, excavate, fork, elevate, channel, deepen, till, drive (a shaft), clean, undermine, burrow, dig out, dig down, depress, gouge, dredge, drill, bore, scoop out, tunnel, hollow out, clean out, muck*, grub*, bulldoze*, cat*, put a whirler to work, stope; see also shovel.

    Antonyms embed*, fill*, bury. *

  2. To remove by digging

    dig up, discover, uncover, bring to the surface, empty, exhume, unearth, turn up, produce, bring to light, excavate, quarry, dredge up, investigate, sift; see also harvest.

  3. *To like

    enjoy, love, groove on*; see like 1, 2.

  4. *To understand

    comprehend, recognize, follow; see understand 1.

dig Usage Examples

Object

  • trench: Workers digging a trench for a water pipe close to Stonehenge have made an amazing discovery.
  • hole: Having found the best location, start digging a hole about 4 feet in diameter.
  • grave: The Medical Officer was also expected to help to dig graves.
  • ditch: As a result, the Somerset's have been digging ditches and erecting barbed wire fences to try and keep out the supporters.
  • pit: Groups of from 5 to 50 were taken out and forced to dig pits and then were shot.
  • burrow: These allow them to dig burrows up to 10m in length.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • around: You needn't dig around in your soul to find some terrible sin to confess.
  • out: Approx 9 " of soil was dug out, in order to get a good solid sub soil base.

Adjective modifier

  • archeological: Incredibly, Pravda also described an alleged retrieval of an alien artifact during archeological digs in Kiev, near the Tchaikovsky Conservatory.
  • sly: While on the Amnesty show, did I detect some sly digs at Noel Fielding from Boothby Graffoe and Ross Noble?
  • archeological: Guardian's Egypt Odyssey In Egypt - an American site for children linked to an archeological dig in Egypt.
  • exploratory: An exploratory dig in the ceiling of the mud tube near the last breakthrough point has also been commenced ( see below ).
  • deluxe: Deluxe digs out has risen to from into the business to cover everything.

Adjective complement

deep: Simpson, who turned pro in July had to dig deep to win.

Noun used with modifier

draughting: Over Whit, the site " went " into a small chamber with further draughting digs in the floor which should be stabilized.

Followed by a transitive particle

up: Now you're digging up ghosts from the past!

Particle object:

sleeper: Digging out sleepers to the north of Swanton Road.

Particle object:

corps: Supposedly they dug up the corpses of Kurds killed by Saddam in the 80s.

Preposition: with

spade: Digging with a spade and fork is often better than using a rotovator because this breaks up compaction and assists drainage.

Preposition: for

badger: Police said a number of incidents have occurred in the Wrexham area relating to people digging for badgers.