dig

verb

\ ˈdig

dug\ ˈdəg

\; digging

Definition of dig

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : 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

2a : 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

noun

Definition of dig (Entry 2 of 3)

1a : 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

abbreviation

Definition of dig (Entry 3 of 3)

digest

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about dig

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Synonyms for dig

Synonyms: Verb

excavate, shovel

Synonyms: Noun

dab, jab, lunge, poke

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

CyberScoop, a cybersecurity news outlet, dug into the booming market. — Robert Hackett, Fortune, "After Capital One, Equifax, Marriott, and the Rest, Just Assume Your Data Has Been Hacked—Cyber Saturday," 3 Aug. 2019 While McDonald and his army of laborers dug under Howard Street, another contractor, Lawrence McCabe, built the Belt Line from Bayview to Huntingdon Avenue. — Jacques Kelly, baltimoresun.com, "Shrouded in darkness, Baltimore’s Howard Street Tunnel is a workhorse rail artery," 27 July 2019 In a green burial, the body typically is wrapped in a shroud or laid in a wicker basket and placed in a grave dug by hand. — Jasmine Johnson, Twin Cities, "‘Everything is biodegradable, including you.’ A Catholic cemetery in Mendota Heights offers green burial.," 20 July 2019 The family plot houses uncles, aunts, grandparents, and great-grandparents, but no graves nearly as old as those dug soon after the nearby chapel was built in the 1790s. — Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, "Race, History, and Memories of a Virginia Girlhood," 18 July 2019 This is a chance to dig into the weeds on player value and roster construction. — Brandon Niles, SI.com, "How to Convert Fantasy Football Draft Strategies into Auction Strategies," 11 July 2019 Haley said her team hasn't had the chance to dig into all of the data from donors yet, but so far, people in 37 states have given money. — Domenica Bongiovanni, Indianapolis Star, "The crowdfunding for Mass Ave. sculpture Ann Dancing is over. Here's what happens next.," 30 June 2019 Fact: Health care costs are rising far faster than the cost of living, digging into American families' pocketbooks and causing half of families to cut back on medical care. — CBS News, "As Dems debate, facts about economy, taxes, health care, wages and more," 26 June 2019 Prices like these induced many more people to try their luck digging for fossils. — Lukas Rieppel, WSJ, "The Problem With Buying Dinosaurs," 21 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

La Cañada Mayor Pro Tem Greg Brown, who makes regular trips around the dig site, said the dirt from the project seems to be accumulating more as summer progresses. — Sara Cardine, La Cañada Valley Sun, "Dirt from Devil’s Gate haulers causes dust-up among locals, county," 31 July 2019 North MVP McKinley Ferguson of Jasper led the attack with 10 kills, adding 10 assists and a team-high 10 digs. — Dennis Victory, al, "Strong front line helps South sweep North in Sports Week volleyball," 18 July 2019 Finding human remains immediately changes the atmosphere on a dig. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "The First Investigation Into the Allied Waterloo Field Hospital Is Unearthing Cannonballs—and Limbs," 18 July 2019 LeRoux served a team-high 54 aces with averages of 4.5 assists and 1.9 digs. — Jack Marrion, Houston Chronicle, "SBISD players recognized on District 17-6A baseball team," 1 July 2019 Marina, who will be a senior next season, has compiled 711 assists, 214 digs and 45 service aces in 48 matches over two years with USC. — Tom Hoffarth, latimes.com, "Morning Briefing: USC’s Cindy Marina wears multiple hats, and one is a crown," 12 June 2019 The archives had pictures of a dig site on a distinctive ridge at Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada. — Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, "Tyrannosaurus Rex: Scary. Smart. Social?," 12 Apr. 2019 Training events are set to follow, as employees and volunteers get used to the new digs over a two-week span. — Mary Colurso | Mcolurso@al.com, al.com, "It’s crunch time for Sidewalk Film Festival and new cinema at Pizitz," 11 July 2019 In the run-up to the extended deadline of October 31st, another wave of staff and their families will head off to new digs, offices and schools. — The Economist, "London’s reign as the world’s capital of capital is at risk," 29 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dig.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.