excavator

noun

ex·​ca·​va·​tor ˈek-skə-ˌvā-tər 

: one that excavates

especially : a power-operated shovel

Examples of excavator in a Sentence

The excavators found ancient tools at the site.

Recent Examples on the Web

An excavator was used on Thursday to dig an escape channel after earlier unsuccessful efforts to coax the whale back toward deeper water, including using coast guard and fire department boats to create large waves. —ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026

At Kharga Oasis, excavators found two 1,500-year-old churches and an ancient mural of Jesus. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026

The unexpected crossover — which also comes with a new music video — launches Blippi’s Year of Vehicles, a yearlong celebration of children’s favorite vehicles (think race cars, monster trucks and excavators). —Annie Harrigan, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2026

D’Artagnan was killed by a musket ball to the throat in the siege of Maastricht in 1673, and excavators believe that a skeleton found in the city was his. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 26 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

excavate + -or entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1815, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for excavator

• activator
• actuator
• agitator
• alligator
• allocator
• alternator
• animator
• annotator
• applicator
• arbitrator
• aspirator
• aviator

Medical Definition

excavator

noun

ex·​ca·​va·​tor ˈek-skə-ˌvāt-ər 

: an instrument used to open bodily cavities (as in the teeth) or remove material from them