navvy

noun

nav·​vy ˈna-vē How to pronounce navvy (audio)
plural navvies
Synonyms of navvynext
chiefly British
: an unskilled laborer

Examples of navvy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Several thousand navvies worked on the railway, living in makeshift camps, and many died in accidents, or from exposure and disease in the bitterly cold winters. The Week Uk, TheWeek, 3 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

by shortening & alteration from navigator construction worker on a canal

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of navvy was in 1829

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Navvy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/navvy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

navvy

noun
nav·​vy ˈnav-ē How to pronounce navvy (audio)
plural navvies
chiefly British
: an unskilled laborer

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