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

Over the years, excavators have found around 280 artifacts in the lake, including 145 axes, 64 spearheads, eight swords and, most recently, four spears. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 17 Dec. 2025

Video captured by a Ring doorbell camera showed an excavator digging in front of the residence that exploded as a worker stood nearby. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025

The doorbell camera footage showed a large excavator digging in front of the home shortly before the blast, with a worker standing nearby. —Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025

In an industrial area eight miles northeast of downtown Sacramento, construction workers drive red excavators, turning a parking lot and former office building into a large homeless shelter. —Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 11 Dec. 2025

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