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Shovel vs. Dig — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Shovel and Dig

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Definitions

Shovel

A shovel is a tool for digging, lifting, and moving bulk materials, such as soil, coal, gravel, snow, sand, or ore. Most shovels are hand tools consisting of a broad blade fixed to a medium-length handle.

Dig

To break up, turn over, or remove (earth or sand, for example), as with a shovel, spade, or snout, or with claws, paws or hands.

Shovel

A tool with a handle and a broad scoop or blade for digging and moving material, such as dirt or snow.

Dig

To make or form by removing earth or other material
Dig a trench.
Dug my way out of the snow.

Shovel

A large mechanical device or vehicle for heavy digging or excavation.
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Dig

To prepare (soil) by loosening or cultivating.

Shovel

The amount that a shovel can hold; a shovelful
One shovel of dirt.

Dig

To obtain or unearth by digging
Dig coal out of a seam.
Dug potatoes from a field.

Shovel

To move or remove with a shovel.

Dig

To obtain or find by an action similar to digging
Dug a dollar out of his pocket.
Dug the puck out of the corner.
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Shovel

To make with a shovel
Shoveled a path through the snow.

Dig

To learn or discover by careful research or investigation
Dug up the evidence.
Dug out the real facts.

Shovel

To convey or throw in a rough or hasty way, as if with a shovel
He shoveled the food into his mouth.

Dig

To force down and into something; thrust
Dug his foot in the ground.

Shovel

To clear or excavate with or as if with a shovel
Shoveling off the driveway after the snowstorm.
Shovels out the hall closet once a year.

Dig

To poke or prod
Dug me in the ribs.

Shovel

To dig or work with a shovel.

Dig

(Sports) To strike or redirect (a ball) just before it hits the ground, keeping it in play, as in tennis or volleyball.

Shovel

A hand tool with a handle, used for moving portions of material such as earth, snow, and grain from one place to another, with some forms also used for digging. Not to be confused with a spade, which is designed solely for small-scale digging and incidental tasks such as chopping of small roots.

Dig

To understand fully
Do you dig what I mean?.

Shovel

A mechanical part of an excavator with a similar function.

Dig

To like, enjoy, or appreciate
"They really dig our music and, daddy, I dig swinging for them" (Louis Armstrong).

Shovel

(US) A spade.

Dig

To take notice of
Dig that wild outfit.

Shovel

To move materials with a shovel.
The workers were shovelling gravel and tarmac into the pothole in the road.
After the blizzard, we shoveled the driveway for the next two days.
I don't mind shoveling, but using a pickaxe hurts my back terribly.

Dig

To loosen, turn over, or remove earth or other material.

Shovel

To move with a shoveling motion.
Already late for work, I shovelled breakfast into my mouth as fast as possible.

Dig

To make one's way by or as if by pushing aside or removing material
Dug through the files.

Shovel

An implement consisting of a broad scoop, or more or less hollow blade, with a handle, used for lifting and throwing earth, coal, grain, or other loose substances.

Dig

(Slang) To have understanding
Do you dig?.

Shovel

To take up and throw with a shovel; as, to shovel earth into a heap, or into a cart, or out of a pit.

Dig

A poke or thrust
A sharp dig in the ribs.

Shovel

To gather up as with a shovel.

Dig

A sarcastic, taunting remark; a gibe.

Shovel

A hand tool for lifting loose material; consists of a curved container or scoop and a handle

Dig

An archaeological excavation.

Shovel

The quantity a shovel can hold

Dig

(Sports) An act or an instance of digging a ball.

Shovel

A fire iron consisting of a small shovel used to scoop coals or ashes in a fireplace

Dig

Digs Lodgings.

Shovel

A machine for excavating

Dig

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.should this be split into senses?
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.
My seven-year-old son always digs a hole in the middle of his mashed potatoes and fills it with gravy before he starts to eat them.

Shovel

Dig with or as if with a shovel;
Shovel sand
He shovelled in the backyard all afternoon long

Dig

(transitive) To get by digging; to take from the ground; often with up.
To dig potatoes
To dig up gold

Dig

(mining) To take ore from its bed, in distinction from making excavations in search of ore.

Dig

To work like a digger; to study ploddingly and laboriously.

Dig

(figurative) To investigate, to research, often followed by out or up.
To dig up evidence
To dig out the facts

Dig

To understand, to like.

Dig

To thrust; to poke.
He dug an elbow into my ribs and guffawed at his own joke.

Dig

(volleyball) To defend against an attack hit by the opposing team by successfully passing the ball

Dig

To understand.
You dig?

Dig

To appreciate, or like.
Baby, I dig you.

Dig

An archeological or paleontological investigation, or the site where such an investigation is taking place.

Dig

A thrust; a poke.
He guffawed and gave me a dig in the ribs after telling his latest joke.

Dig

(volleyball) A defensive pass of the ball that has been attacked by the opposing team.

Dig

(cricket) An innings.

Dig

A cutting, sarcastic remark.

Dig

The occupation of digging for gold.

Dig

A plodding and laborious student.

Dig

A tool for digging.

Dig

A rare or interesting vinyl record bought second-hand.
A £1 charity shop dig

Dig

Digoxin.
Dig toxicity

Dig

To turn up, or delve in, (earth) with a spade or a hoe; to open, loosen, or break up (the soil) with a spade, or other sharp instrument; to pierce, open, or loosen, as if with a spade.
Be first to dig the ground.

Dig

To get by digging; as, to dig potatoes, or gold.

Dig

To hollow out, as a well; to form, as a ditch, by removing earth; to excavate; as, to dig a ditch or a well.

Dig

To thrust; to poke.
You should have seen children . . . dig and push their mothers under the sides, saying thus to them: Look, mother, how great a lubber doth yet wear pearls.

Dig

To like; enjoy; admire.

Dig

To work with a spade or other like implement; to do servile work; to delve.
Dig for it more than for hid treasures.
I can not dig; to beg I am ashamed.

Dig

To take ore from its bed, in distinction from making excavations in search of ore.

Dig

To work hard or drudge;
Peter dug at his books all the harder.

Dig

Of a tool: To cut deeply into the work because ill set, held at a wrong angle, or the like, as when a lathe tool is set too low and so sprung into the work.

Dig

To understand; as, do you dig me?.

Dig

To notice; to look at; as, dig that crazy hat!.

Dig

To appreciate and enjoy; as, he digs classical music as well as rock.

Dig

A plodding and laborious student.

Dig

A tool for digging.

Dig

An act of digging.

Dig

An amount to be dug.

Dig

Same as Gouge.

Dig

A critical and sometimes sarcastic or insulting remark, but often good-humored; as, celebrities at a roast must suffer through countless digs.

Dig

An archeological excavation site.

Dig

The site of an archeological exploration;
They set up camp next to the dig

Dig

An aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect;
His parting shot was `drop dead'
She threw shafts of sarcasm
She takes a dig at me every chance she gets

Dig

A small gouge (as in the cover of a book);
The book was in good condition except for a dig in the back cover

Dig

The act of digging;
There's an interesting excavation going on near Princeton

Dig

The act of touching someone suddenly with your finger or elbow;
She gave me a sharp dig in the ribs

Dig

Turn up, loosen, or remove earth;
Dig we must
Turn over the soil for aeration

Dig

Create by digging;
Dig a hole
Dig out a channel

Dig

Work hard;
She was digging away at her math homework
Lexicographers drudge all day long

Dig

Remove the inner part or the core of;
The mining company wants to excavate the hillsite

Dig

Poke or thrust abruptly;
He jabbed his finger into her ribs

Dig

Get the meaning of something;
Do you comprehend the meaning of this letter?

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