english
1
general::
verb ADV. deep We'll have to dig quite deep to get at the roots. PREP. for digging for buried treasure | through digging through solid clay, noun hard push ADJ. sharp VERB + DIG give She gave him a sharp dig in the ribs. | feel, get PHRASES a dig in the ribs critical remark ADJ. little | sly I resisted the temptation to get in a sly dig at Fred. VERB + DIG get in, have, make PREP. ~ about, ~ at They were having a little dig at her about the way she tells everybody else what to do. in the ground ADJ. archaeological VERB + DIG go on I went on an archaeological dig over the summer. DIG + VERB reveal sth The dig revealed the site of a Roman villa.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
2
general::
dig in
informal
to start eating
• The food's going cold - dig in!, dig (yourself) in
[ R ]
to make arrangements to protect yourself from an attack by the enemy in a war situation, for example by digging trenches (= long, narrow holes) , dig sth up
[ M ] INFORMATION
3. to discover secret or forgotten facts by searching very carefully
• I've been doing some research on our family history and I've dug up some interesting information.
• She's one of those journalists who's always trying to dig up dirt on (= unpleasant private details about) celebrities., dig sth up
[ M ] MOVE SOIL
2. to break the ground or to make a hole in it with a tool, machine, etc.
• They're digging up the road outside to repair the electricity cables., dig sth up
[ M ] MOVE SOIL
1. to take something out of the ground by digging
• It's time we dug up those potatoes., dig (sth) into sb/sth
to press or push, or to press or push an object, hard into someone or something
• A stone was digging into my heel.
• She dug her fingernails into my wrist., dig sth out
[ M ] informal
to find something that you have not seen or used for a long time
• Mum dug out some old family photos to show me., dig sb/sth out
[ M ]
to get someone or something out of somewhere by digging
• Firefighters helped to dig out the people trapped in the snowdrift.
• The doctor used a sharp instrument to dig a piece of glass out of my finger.
Cambridge-Phrasal Verbs
3
general::
verb
mine:
You must dig for gold to find it.
Simple Definitions
4
general::
dig
to make a hole in the ground using your hands, a tool, or a machine:
• Some workmen were digging a trench at the side of the road. • In Africa, the people know where to dig for water.
make a hole
to dig a hole in the ground, using your hands or a tool:
• Make a hole just big enough for the plant’s roots.
burrow
if an animal burrows, it makes a hole or a passage in the ground by digging the earth with its feet, nose etc:
• The rabbits had burrowed a hole under the fence.
plough
British English , plow American English to turn over the soil using a machine or a tool pulled by animals, to prepare the soil for planting seeds:
• The farmers here still plough their fields using buffaloes.
excavate
formal to dig a large hole in the ground, especially as a preparation for building something:
• The men began excavating the hole for the pool.
bore
to make a deep round hole in the ground using a special machine, especially in order to look for oil or water:
• Companies need a special licence to bore for oil.
Longman-Thesaurus