auger

noun

au·​ger ˈȯ-gər 

: any of various tools or devices with a helical shaft or part that are used for boring holes (as in wood, soil, or ice) or moving loose material (such as snow)

Illustration of auger

• 1 2 screw
• 3 tapering pod

Did you know?

The tool called an auger has nothing to do with people’s navels, but the words auger and navel are related. This tool was first used to bore a hole for the axle in the nave, or hub, of a wheel. Such a nave was called nafu in Old English. Nafu is related to the word nafela, which became our word navel. The Old English ancestor of auger was nafogar, which was made up of nafu and gar, meaning “spear.” By Middle English nafogar had lost a syllable and shrunk to nauger. Since a nauger sounds like an auger, people began to write an auger, and our modern spelling of the word was born.

Examples of auger in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Plumbers often use drain augers when they are called to deal with a clogged drain line. —Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Feb. 2025

All the while, he’s typically dressed in a form-fitting dress, a shoulder-length wig and heeled boots (because open-toed shoes around hatchets and augers could spell disaster). —Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025

Even after careful trimming, game meat is still going to contain some tendon and fascia, and that tough connective tissue loves to wind itself around the auger inside your grinder. —Wes Siler, Outside Online, 11 Mar. 2025

This drill bit acts as an auger, digging the hole for you. —Christopher Murray, Fox News, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, alteration (resulting from false division of a nauger) of nauger, from Old English nafogār; akin to Old High German nabugēr auger, Old English nafu nave, gār spear — more at nave, gore

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for auger

• augur
• blogger
• dogger
• jogger
• laager
• lager
• logger
• cataloger
• cataloguer

Kids Definition

auger

noun

au·​ger ˈȯ-gər 

: any of various tools made like a spiral or screw and used for boring holes or moving loose material

Etymology

Middle English auger "auger," an altered form of nauger, from Old English nafogār "tool for boring holes in the hub of a wheel"

Word Origin

The tool called an auger has nothing to do with people's navels, but the words auger and navel are related. This tool was first used to bore a hole for the axle in the nave or hub of a wheel. Such a nave was called nafu in Old English. Nafu is related to the word nafela, which has become our word navel. The Old English ancestor of auger was nafogār, which was made up of nafu and gār, meaning "spear." By Middle English nafogār had lost a syllable and shrunk to nauger, and it no longer made sense as a compound. Since a nauger sounds just like an auger, many people began to write an auger. That is how our modern spelling of the word was born.