shovel

noun shov·el \ ˈshə-vəl \

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Definition of shovel

1 a : a hand implement consisting of a broad scoop or a more or less hollowed out blade with a handle used to lift and throw material

b : something that resembles a shovel

c : an excavating machine; especially : a hydraulic diesel-engine driven power shovel

2 : shovelful

See shovel defined for English-language learners

See shovel defined for kids

Recent Examples of shovel from the Web

Someone broke a basement window with a shovel and stole cash, jewelry and a key.

— libby solomon, baltimoresun.com, "Towson crime logs," 12 June 2018
University of Houston-Victoria and community leaders broke ground last Tuesday with ceremonial shovels to signify the beginning of construction on a new student residence hall named after the university’s provost emeritus and his wife.

— staff report, Houston Chronicle, "University of Houston-Victoria breaks ground on new student residence hall," 8 June 2018
Sutcliffe called out to her husband, Jeremy, who ran over with a shovel and rammed the tool into the venomous animal, decapitating it.

— PEOPLE.com, "Father of Two Nearly Dies After Being Bitten By Rattlesnake's Severed Head: 'It Was Very Scary'," 7 June 2018
Investigators could be seen working with shovels behind a black screen in the back of the yard and ferrying arm-length brown paper bags between the screen and the forensic truck.

— jeremy c. fox, BostonGlobe.com, "In Springfield, parishioners grapple with an unspeakable horror," 4 June 2018
Search crews loaded their cars with shovels and headed to a spot at the far end of a swampy field surrounded by trees.

— christina hall, Detroit Free Press, "Police say suspected serial killer touted body count," 10 May 2018
The bodies of two women were found several kilometers away as excavators and rescue workers armed with shovels picked through rubble and mud searching for survivors and victims.

— thomas mukoya, Anchorage Daily News, "Dam on Kenyan flower farm bursts, killing scores," 10 May 2018
That divide, between tech types and city-planning specialists, will also need to be bridged before Sidewalk Labs can stick a shovel in the soggy ground at Quayside.

— The Economist, "The world’s first neighbourhood built “from the internet up”," 2 May 2018
That's $30 million shy of the benchmark set to get the first shovels in the dirt.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "TCU's donor base skewing younger as Amon G. Carter Stadium renovation nears | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 27 Apr. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of shovel

Middle English, from Old English scofl; akin to Old High German scūfla shovel, Old English scūfan to thrust away

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

shovel

verb

Definition of shovel

shoveled or shovelled; shoveling or shovelling play \ˈshə-və-liŋ, ˈshəv-liŋ\

transitive verb

1 : to take up and throw with a shovel

2 : to dig or clean out with a shovel

3 : to throw or convey roughly or in a mass as if with a shovel

shoveled his food into his mouth

intransitive verb

: to use a shovel

See shovel defined for English-language learners

Examples of shovel in a Sentence

He is outside shoveling snow.
I have to shovel the driveway.
I had to shovel for an hour to clear the driveway.
The snow was so deep we had to shovel a path to our front door.
Stop shoveling food into your mouth.

Recent Examples of shovel from the Web

This pass-and-dash action became a hallmark three years ago during the Western Conference semifinals against Memphis, with Iguodala and Draymond Green shoveling to Curry while screening for him.

— lee jenkins, SI.com, "Kevin Durant and the Dagger That Foreshadowed the Broom," 12 June 2018
This is typically achieved by the use of scramjets, which use an aircraft’s forward motion to shovel air at supersonic speeds into the engine, causing thrust.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Air Force Is Pushing for a Hypersonic Strike Weapon," 11 June 2018
In the seventh minute of the fifth extra session, the Phantoms’ Alex Krushelnyski shoveled the puck into the Checkers’ net, capping 146 minutes and 48 seconds of hockey.

— charlotteobserver, "In game for the history books, how die-hard Checkers fans held on ‘until bitter end’ | Charlotte Observer," 10 May 2018
There's a lot of work between now and shovel in the ground.

— john benson, cleveland.com, "Lakewood City Council considering future of former Lakewood Hospital site," 30 Apr. 2018
Daniel Harris, 52, died of heart failure while shoveling snow at his girlfriend’s apartment complex in Milwaukee on Sunday, the AP reported.

— angela fritz, Washington Post, "Major spring storm leaves a trail of destruction from the Upper Midwest to the Eastern Seaboard," 16 Apr. 2018
Do not let children sit in an idling car while shoveling.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Four’easter: Another storm begins to hit Massachusetts," 21 Mar. 2018
The money is being shovelled out almost as fast as it was taken in.

— The Economist, "The meaning of the Vision Fund," 12 May 2018
The neighbors were as icy as the weather, leaving angry notes and yelling at Mr. Erickson, who now works in a print shop, for not shoveling adequately.

— New York Times, "The House That Got Away," 11 May 2018

First Known Use of shovel

15th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

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shovel Synonyms

SHOVEL Defined for English Language Learners

shovel

noun

Definition of shovel for English Language Learners

: a tool with a long handle that is used for lifting and throwing dirt, sand, snow, etc.
: the part of a machine (such as a backhoe) that picks up and moves dirt, sand, snow, etc.