dig

1 of 3

verb

dug ˈdəg How to pronounce dig (audio) ; digging

transitive verb

1
a
: to break up, turn, or loosen (earth) with an implement
digging dirt with a shovel
machines digging up the road
b
: to prepare the soil of
dig a garden
2
a
: to bring to the surface by digging : unearth
dig potatoes
b
: to bring to light or out of hiding
dig up facts
3
: to hollow out or form by removing earth : excavate
dig a hole
dig a tunnel
4
: to drive down so as to penetrate : thrust
dug her toes into the sand
The hawk dug its claws into its prey.
5
: poke, prod
dug me in the ribs with his elbow
6
slang
a
: to pay attention to : notice
dig that fancy hat
b
: understand, appreciate
couldn't dig the medical jargon
c
: like, admire
High school students dig short poetry.David Burmester

intransitive verb

1
: to turn up, loosen, or remove earth
digging in the garden
dig for buried treasure
2
: to work hard or laboriously
3
: to advance by or as if by removing or pushing aside material
digging into the history of the company

dig

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: thrust, poke
a dig in the ribs
b
: a cutting remark
a subtle dig at their lack of preparedness
2
digs plural
a
: accommodations (see accommodation sense 1a) for living or working
buying furniture for his new digs
b
chiefly British : lodging sense 2b
3
: an archaeological excavation site
also : the excavation itself
participated in a dig

dig

3 of 3

abbreviation

digest

Examples of dig in a Sentence

Verb Some animal has been digging in the garden. They dug into the sand with their hands. He dug down about 10 feet before he hit water. Dig a hole three feet deep. The first step in building a house is to dig the foundation. The prisoners escaped by digging a tunnel under the fence. digging clams on the beach These detectives won't stop digging until they find out what happened. Noun She gave me a dig in the ribs to get my attention. She participated in a dig last summer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans. Grant Lancaster, arkansasonline.com, 19 Oct. 2024 Video showed firefighters digging underneath the SUV while others stood nearby with wood blocks that could be used to help dislodge a vehicle stuck in the sand. Joseph Serna, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024
Noun
Archaeologists discover ring that's over 1,000 years old during dig Archaeologists from the University of Aberdeen recently found an over 1,000-year-old ring during a volunteer dig near Burghead, Scotland. Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 16 Oct. 2024 Paleontologists on a Wyoming dig led by The Children's Museum have discovered a rarity: the almost intact snout of an allosaurus. Domenica Bongiovanni, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dig 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dig.' 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

Verb and Noun

Middle English diggen

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1797, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of dig was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near dig

Cite this Entry

“Dig.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dig. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

dig

1 of 2 verb
dug ˈdəg How to pronounce dig (audio) ; digging
1
a
: to turn up the soil (as with a spade or hoe)
b
: to hollow out or form by removing earth
dig a hole
2
: to uncover or search by or as if by turning up earth
dig potatoes
dig for gold
dig through books for help
3
: find out
dig up the facts
4
: prod entry 1 sense 1, poke
dug me in the ribs
5
a
: to pay attention to : notice
dig that hat
b
: understand sense 1a
you dig me?
c
: like entry 1 sense 1
I dig music
digger noun

dig

2 of 2 noun
1
2
: a harsh remark : gibe
3
: a place where scientists (as archaeologists or paleontologists) try to recover buried objects by digging
also : the process of digging for such objects

More from Merriam-Webster on dig

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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