dig
(dĭg)
[Middle English diggenperhaps akin to Old French digue, dike, trench, V., tr., sense 8 and intr., sense 3, perhaps influenced by Wolof degg, to hear, find out, understand, or Irish Gaelic tuigim, I understand.]
verb: dug (dŭg), dig·ging, digs.
transitive verb
- To break up, turn over, or remove (earth or sand, for example), as with a shovel, spade, or snout, or with claws, paws or hands.
- To make or form by removing earth or other material: dig a trench; dug my way out of the snow.
- To prepare (soil) by loosening or cultivating.
- To obtain or unearth by digging: dig coal out of a seam; dug potatoes from a field.
- To obtain or find by an action similar to digging: dug a dollar out of his pocket; dug the puck out of the corner.
- To learn or discover by careful research or investigation: dug up the evidence; dug out the real facts.
- To force down and into something; thrust: dug his foot in the ground.
- To poke or prod: dug me in the ribs.
- Sports To strike or redirect (a ball) just before it hits the ground, as in tennis or volleyball.
- Slang
- To understand fully: Do you dig what I mean?
- To like, enjoy, or appreciate: “They really dig our music and, daddy, I dig swinging for them” (Louis Armstrong)
- To take notice of: Dig that wild outfit.
intransitive verb
- To loosen, turn over, or remove earth or other material.
- To make one's way by or as if by pushing aside or removing material: dug through the files.
- Slang To have understanding: Do you dig?
noun
- A poke or thrust: a sharp dig in the ribs.
- A sarcastic, taunting remark; a gibe.
- An archaeological excavation.
- Sports An act or an instance of digging a ball.
- Lodgings.
phrasal verbs
- dig in
- To dig trenches for protection.
- To hold on stubbornly, as to a position; entrench oneself.
- To begin to work intensively. To begin to eat heartily.
idioms
- dig in (one's) heels
- To resist opposition stubbornly; refuse to yield or compromise.
- dig it out
- Slang To run as fast as one can, especially as a base runner in baseball.
