Dig
/dɪɡ/
Definitions
3 meaningsTo break up, turn over, or remove earth, sand, etc., with a spade, shovel, or hands.
/dɪɡ/
To break up and move earth with a tool or hands.
He dug a hole to bury the bone.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're playing in the sandbox. Digging means to use your hands or a tool to move the sand around and make a hole or a tunnel. Like when you're looking for buried treasure!
👶 For kids: To make a hole in the ground, like a puppy does.
More Examples
They dug trenches to protect themselves.
The dog started to dig under the fence.
How It's Used
"I need to dig in the garden to plant the seeds."
"Archaeologists dig for artifacts at the excavation site."
To search or investigate thoroughly.
/dɪɡ/
To search or explore something, especially for information or resources.
The detective dug for the truth.
💡 Simply: Think of digging for clues like a detective in a mystery book. It's like looking very closely and carefully at something until you find the secret!
👶 For kids: To look for something hidden.
More Examples
He dug deep into the history of the town.
She had to dig up a lot of information for her report.
How It's Used
"The journalist dug for information on the scandal."
"He dug into the problem and finally found the solution."
An act of digging.
/dɪɡ/
The dig was shallow, but we found something!
💡 Simply: The hole that you make when you dig in the ground.
👶 For kids: When you dig in the ground, it's called a dig.
More Examples
The dig revealed some ancient artifacts.
How It's Used
"The dig was shallow."
Idioms & expressions
dig in
To start eating eagerly.
"The food looked so good, we couldn't wait to dig in."
dig up
To find something that is buried in the ground.
"They dug up the treasure chest."
dig someone
To like or appreciate someone.
"I dig his style."
From Middle English *diggen*, from Old English *dīcian* ('to dig, excavate'), related to Dutch *dijken* ('to build a dike').
The word 'dig' has been used since Old English, initially referring to the act of excavating earth. Over time, it has extended its meaning to include searching and investigating.
Memory tip
Imagine a farmer with a shovel digging in the soil for his crops.
Word Origin
"to dig, excavate"