dig
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dig¹
- /dɪɡ/
Rhymes with -ɪɡ
Where it comes from
From Middle English diggen (“to dig”, 13th c.), an alteration of dīken, from Old English dīcian (“to dig a ditch, mound up earth”), from Proto-West Germanic *dīkōn, which see for cognates. This verb is denominal from Proto-Germanic *dīkaz (“pool, puddle; dyke, ditch”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- (“to stab, dig”).
The form with g may have been influenced by Old French *diguer, a variant of dikier, itself from the West Germanic verb above. French forms with g are attested only in the 15th c., thus 200 years later than in English. On the other hand, French has according forms also for the underlying noun (cf. digue) and the phonetic development is more plausible in French than in English.
verb digs · digging · dug · digged
- To move hard-packed earth out of the way, especially downward to make a hole with a shovel. Or to drill, or the like, through rocks, roads, or the like. More generally, to make any similar hole by moving material out of the way. They dug an eight-foot ditch along the side of the road.
- To get by digging; to take from the ground; often with up. to dig potatoes
- To take ore from its bed, in distinction from making excavations in search of ore.
- To work like a digger; to study ploddingly and laboriously. Peter dug at his books all the harder.
- To investigate, to research, often followed by out or up. to dig up evidence
- To thrust; to poke. He dug an elbow into my ribs and guffawed at his own joke.
- To defend against an attack hit by the opposing team by successfully passing the ball
noun digs
-
An archeological or paleontological investigation, or the site where such an investigation is taking place.
Similar: excavation
- Any act of digging to find or retrieve something. Iron Springs offers a guided clam dig for first timers or those who are rusty at spotting the clam's show at low tide. It includes a license and all the equipment you'll need to catch your limit on Copalis Beach […]
-
A thrust; a poke.
He guffawed and gave me a dig in the ribs after telling his latest joke.
Similar: jab
- A hard blow, especially (boxing) a straight left-hander delivered under the opponent's guard. […] 'let him go, I tell you, or I'll be after breaking your ugly mug,' and with that I gave him a dig that knocked him into smithereens.
- A defensive pass of the ball that has been attacked by the opposing team.
- An innings.
-
A cutting, sarcastic remark.
Buckram ! that's a dig at my trade.
Similar: jibe
- The occupation of digging for gold. Don Quixote told us that Western Australia was the same to him as any other country, except that it possessed the charm of novelty, and he assured us that as soon as he was well enough he would be off on the "dig" once more.
- A plodding and laborious student. Between the two extremes of college men the unsocial dig and the flunking swell, lies the majority, who, acknowledging the duty and merit of hard work, see the value in social and recreative line, but are at somewhat of a loss, seemingly, how to proportionize the time given to the different sides of
- A tool for digging.
- A rare or interesting vinyl record bought second-hand. a £1 charity shop dig
dig²
- /dɪɡ/
Rhymes with -ɪɡ
Where it comes from
From African American Vernacular English; due to lack of writing of slave speech, etymology is difficult to trace, but it has been suggested that it is from Wolof dëgg, dëgga (“to understand, to appreciate”). It has also been suggested that it is from Irish dtuig, thus being a doublet of twig. Others do not propose a distinct etymology, instead considering this a semantic shift of the existing English term (compare dig in/dig into).
verb digs · digging · dug
- To understand. You dig?
- To appreciate, or like. Baby, I dig you.
dig³
- /dɪd͡ʒ/
Where it comes from
Shortening.
noun
- Digoxin. dig toxicity
dig⁴
Where it comes from
Unknown. Compare Middle English digge.
noun digs
- A duck. Powltrey, &c, &c. Item ten turkeys … Item three Digs [an old Cheshire word for duck] and a Drake … Item ffower Capons … [The word's gloss has been inserted by Earwaker]
DIG⁵
noun DIGs · dIG
-
Initialism of dwarf irregular galaxy
Similar: dI
dIG⁶
noun dIGs · DIG
-
dwarf irregular galaxy
Similar: dI
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: excavation, excavate, delve, dig out, hollow, barb, shaft, grind, stab, prod, jab, poke, compass, grasp, slam, gibe
Translations
Every language
verb to move hard-packed earth out of the way
| Español | ahondar, cavar, ahoyar, escarbar |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 파다 pada |
| 日本語 | 掘る horu |
| 中文 | 挖 wā, 挖掘 wājué, 掘 jué |
| हिन्दी | खोदना khodnā |
| Português | cavar, escavar |
| Français | creuser |
| Deutsch | graben |
| Italiano | scavare |
| Ελληνικά | σκάβω skávo |
| Română | săpa, excava |
| Русский | копа́ть kopátʹ, выка́пывать vykápyvatʹ, вы́копать výkopatʹ, копну́ть kopnútʹ, рыть rytʹ, вы́рыть výrytʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | đào, bới |
| العربية | حَفَرَ ḥafara, اِحْتَفَرَ iḥtafara |
| עברית | חָפַר khafár |
verb get by digging, take up from the ground
| Português | cavar, escavar |
|---|---|
| Français | excaver |
| Русский | выка́пывать vykápyvatʹ, вы́копать výkopatʹ |
noun archeological investigation
| Español | excavación |
|---|---|
| Português | escavação |
| Français | fouille |
| Deutsch | Grabung, Ausgrabung |
| Italiano | scavi |
| Ελληνικά | ανασκαφή anaskafí |
| Русский | раско́пки raskópki |
| עברית | חפירות khafirot |
verb slang: to understand or show interest in
| Español | picar el interés, llamar la atención |
|---|---|
| Français | piger |
verb slang: to appreciate, or like
| Español | caer bien, simpatizar |
|---|---|
| Português | curtir, gostar |
| Français | kiffer |
Talk about this word "dig." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/dig. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. dig. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/dig "dig." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/dig.Cite this
@misc{dig_2026,
title = {dig},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/dig},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
