excavator

noun

ex·​ca·​va·​tor ˈek-skə-ˌvā-tər How to pronounce excavator (audio)
: one that excavates
especially : a power-operated shovel

Examples of excavator in a Sentence

The excavators found ancient tools at the site.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Using an excavator, Artur dug Nate’s coffin up. Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026 The roof trusses were visible, and excavators sat silently outside what was left of the building. Amy Lavalley, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026 On Monday, detectives with the Sheriff's agricultural crime unit went undercover to meet up with a suspect believed to be using a false identity and a fraudulent credit card to rent a mini excavator valued at around $37,000. Kassia Bonesteel, CBS News, 23 May 2026 In front of a row of concrete markers tracing the border with Peru, two sandy-yellow Chilean military excavators crawl along a deep trench, digging three metres down before swinging sharply to dump bucketloads of earth into a rising embankment. John Bartlett, NPR, 23 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for excavator

Word History

Etymology

excavate + -or entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1815, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of excavator was circa 1815

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Excavator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excavator. Accessed 27 May. 2026.

Medical Definition

excavator

noun
ex·​ca·​va·​tor ˈek-skə-ˌvāt-ər How to pronounce excavator (audio)
: an instrument used to open bodily cavities (as in the teeth) or remove material from them
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