auger

noun

au·​ger ˈȯ-gər How to pronounce auger (audio)
: 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

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 Its 16-inch auger is capable of moving over 100 tons of snow per hour. Ben Romans, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024 In the meantime, tune up your auger, re-spool your ice rods and hit the tackle shop to load up on the latest lures and gadgets. Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 Single stage snowblowers have an auger that picks up the snow and blows it out the chute, while costlier two stage machines work faster because their augers only have to move snow up to an impeller that does the actual blowing. Ben Romans, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024 Additionally, a plumber’s snake with a small auger can often clear hair and debris from your pipes without using any chemicals. Tanya Edwards, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023 But that work also hit a roadblock, after the auger machine being used to pierce through the rubble broke in the final stretch of drilling. Suhasini Raj, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2023 Since one-stage snow blowers rely on their auger to scoop and throw, anything the auger picks up flies out of the chute. Ben Romans, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024 Jack mounted a tractor and pulled a long auger used to convey the corn off one of the grain bins. Melina Mara, Washington Post, 9 Dec. 2023 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

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'auger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of auger was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near auger

Cite this Entry

“Auger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auger. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

auger

noun
au·​ger ˈȯ-gər How to pronounce auger (audio)
: 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.

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