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

If a toilet becomes clogged with paper products or other solid objects a plumber’s snake with an auger or grabber claw is an effective DIY solution. —Tanya Edwards, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023

However, the outcome was deadly for a 30-year-old man who had both of his legs amputated after an accident involving a grain bin auger in rural Minnesota last month. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 10 Oct. 2023

Less expensive grills use a standard controller, with pre-set auger and fan speeds and intervals based on your target temperature. —Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, 8 Mar. 2023

The pellets are put into a hopper, and when the grill is turned on (its main power source is electricity), the pellets are fed into a cooking chamber by an auger. —Andrea Wurzburger, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Apr. 2023

Yet this turbulence in the inner circle, the rise of warlords, the open feuding, the killings, the rebellion by a protégé, now the execution of a courtier by his master—all of this augers ill for Russia and presages the deterioration of the Russian state. —Time, 24 Aug. 2023

Angel wings, whelks, slipper shells, arks, pen shells, cockles, jingles, coquinas, augers, and olive shells are among the most common found in local waters and on the beach. —Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 20 June 2023

Keep in Mind: The auger is designed to go 2 feet into the ground, which is deeper than most bird feeder poles and can be difficult to install if your ground is hard. —Kristen (kj) Callihan, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Mar. 2023

Although wood pellets fuel the grill, the temperature controllers and auger feed systems require electricity to operate. —Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, 8 Mar. 2023

See More

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

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.