Etymology : Middle English diggen
Pronunciation : dig
Function : verb
Date : 13th century
1. excavation; jab, poke; mean or sarcastic remark; summary of a body of laws; digest. burrow, hoe; like (Slang); understand; start, begin enthusiastically; entrench oneself.
2. to understand: "can you dig it? ".
3. to like.
4. to work hard, especially for an examination. dig\dig\, v. i.
5. to work hard or drudge; specif. (u. s.): to study ploddingly and laboriously. [colloq.] peter dug at his books all the harder. ford.
6. (mach.) of a tool: to cut deeply into the work because ill set, held at a wrong angle, or the like, as when a lathe tool is set too low and so sprung into the work.
7. To turn up, or delve in, with a spade or a hoe; to open, loosen, or break up with a spade, or other sharp instrument; to pierce, open, or loosen, as if with a spade.
8. To get by digging; as, to dig potatoes, or gold.
9. To hollow out, as a well; to form, as a ditch, by removing earth; to excavate; as, to dig a ditch or a well.
10. To thrust; to poke.
11. To work with a spade or other like implement; to do servile work; to delve.
12. To take ore from its bed, in distinction from making excavations in search of ore.
13. To work like a digger; to study ploddingly and laboriously.
14. A thrust; a punch; a poke; as, a dig in the side or the ribs.
15. See Dig, v. t., 4.
16. A plodding and laborious student.
17. To work hard or drudge; To study ploddingly and laboriously.
18. Of a tool: To cut deeply into the work because ill set, held at a wrong angle, or the like, as when a lathe tool is set too low and so sprung into the work.
19. A tool for digging.
20. An act of digging.
21. An amount to be dug. = Gouge. the act of touching someone suddenly with your finger or elbow; "she gave me a sharp dig in the ribs" a small gouge ; "the book was in good condition except for a dig in the back cover" the site of an archeological exploration; "they set up camp next to the dig" turn up, loosen, or remove earth; "Dig we must"; "turn over the soil for aeration" create by digging; "dig a hole"; "dig out a channel".
22. 1. If people or animals dig, they make a hole in the ground or in a pile of earth, stones, or rubbish. They tried digging in a patch just below the cave Dig a largish hole and bang the stake in first Rescue workers are digging through the rubble in search of other victims They dug for shellfish at low tide.
23. If you dig into something such as a deep container, you put your hand in it to search for something. He dug into his coat pocket for his keys. = delve.
24. If you dig one thing into another or if one thing digs into another, the first thing is pushed hard into the second, or presses hard into it. She digs the serving spoon into the moussaka He could feel the beads digging into his palm.
25. If you dig into a subject or a store of information, you study it very carefully in order to discover or check facts. The enquiry dug deeper into the alleged financial misdeeds of his government He has been digging into the local archives = probe.
26. If you dig yourself out of a difficult or unpleasant situation, especially one which you caused yourself, you manage to get out of it. He's taken these measures to try and dig himself out of a hole.
27. A dig is an organized activity in which people dig into the ground in order to discover ancient historical objects. He's an archaeologist and has been on a dig in Crete for the past year. = excavation.
28. If you have a dig at someone, you say something which is intended to make fun of them or upset them. She couldn't resist a dig at Dave after his unfortunate performance. = gibe.
29. If you give someone a dig in a part of their body, you push them with your finger or your elbow, usually as a warning or as a joke.
30. If you live in digs, you live in a room in someone else's house and pay them rent. He went to London and lived in digs in Gloucester Road = lodgings.
31. to dig one's heels in: see:
heel.