shovel

[shuhv-uh l] /ˈʃʌv əl/
noun
1.
an implement consisting of a broad blade or scoop attached to a long handle, used for taking up, removing, or throwing loose matter, as earth, snow, or coal.
2.
any fairly large contrivance or machine with a broad blade or scoop for taking up or removing loose matter:
a steam shovel.
3.
a shovelful.
4.
Informal. shovel hat.
verb (used with object), shoveled, shoveling or (especially British) shovelled, shovelling.
5.
to take up and cast or remove with a shovel:
to shovel coal.
6.
to gather up in large quantity roughly or carelessly with or as if with a shovel:
He shoveled food into his mouth.
7.
to dig or clear with or as if with a shovel:
to shovel a path through the snow.
verb (used without object), shoveled, shoveling or (especially British) shovelled, shovelling.
8.
to work with a shovel.
Origin
before 900; Middle English schovel, Old English scofl; cognate with Dutch schoffel hoe; akin to German Schaufel shovel
Related forms
unshoveled, adjective
unshovelled, adjective
Examples from the web for shovel
  • But their culture is such that they don't think about picking up a shovel and digging-it's demeaning.
  • Pour or shovel in remaining lava stone around pipe to hold it in place.
  • Push the shovel down into the mound or next to the hole all the way.
  • Then use a shovel and carefully dig a deep, two foot margin all sides of the plant, as the spuds are known to spread.
  • Pop the whole clump out of the ground with a shovel or spading fork.
  • How does the number of possible combinations of atoms make owning a shovel irrelevant.
  • There is coal jet fuel, and thank goodness you don't have to actually shovel coal during the flight.
  • So she went up to it, and took out all the loaves one after another with the bread-shovel.
  • My plea about the medicine gets me through, but his shovel disqualifies him.
  • Or that he'd apologize for lying about shovel-ready jobs.
British Dictionary definitions for shovel

shovel

/ˈʃʌvəl/
noun
1.
an instrument for lifting or scooping loose material, such as earth, coal, etc, consisting of a curved blade or a scoop attached to a handle
2.
any machine or part resembling a shovel in action
3.
Also called shovelful. the amount that can be contained in a shovel
4.
short for shovel hat
verb -els, -elling, -elled (US) -els, -eling, -eled
5.
to lift (earth, etc) with a shovel
6.
(transitive) to clear or dig (a path) with or as if with a shovel
7.
(transitive) to gather, load, or unload in a hurried or careless way: he shovelled the food into his mouth and rushed away
Derived Forms
shoveller, (US) shoveler, noun
Word Origin
Old English scofl; related to Old High German scūfla shovel, Dutch schoffel hoe; see shove
Word Origin and History for shovel
n.

Old English scofl, sceofol "shovel," related to scufan (see shove (v.)), from Proto-Germanic *skublo (cf. Old Saxon skufla, Swedish skovel, Middle Low German schufle, Middle Dutch shuffel, Dutch schoffel, Old High German scuvala, German Schaufel). Shovel-ready, with reference to construction projects, is attested by 2006.

v.

mid-15c., from shovel (n.). Related: Shoveled; shoveling. Cf. German schaufeln, verb from noun.