sandhog

noun

sand·​hog ˈsand-ˌhȯg How to pronounce sandhog (audio)
-ˌhäg
: a laborer who works in underwater or underground excavation and construction (such as in the building of tunnels or bridge foundations)
Danger is part of the job for the tunnel workers, known as sandhogs, who work beneath New York's streets.Ian Fisher
They were all part of the fraternity of sandhogs, a rare breed of tunnel digger whose name comes from the workers who excavated the soft earth under the Brooklyn Bridge in the eighteen-seventies.David Grann

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sandhog was in 1897

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Cite this Entry

“Sandhog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sandhog. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.

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