diggers: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to Technical (depending on sense)
Quick answer
What does “diggers” mean?
People or machines that excavate or remove earth/soil.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
People or machines that excavate or remove earth/soil.
1. People engaged in excavation work, often for construction or archaeology. 2. Specifically, heavy machinery (like excavators or backhoes) used for digging. 3. Historically, a group of 17th-century English radicals who cultivated common land. 4. Slang: friends, mates (chiefly Australian).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
UK: The machinery sense ('diggers') is common, but 'excavator' is the precise technical term. The historical 'Diggers' is a proper noun. AU: Slang for 'friends' is prevalent. US: The machinery sense is common, though 'excavators' or 'backhoes' are more frequent in professional contexts.
Connotations
UK: Practical, industrial, historical. AU: Friendly, colloquial. US: Primarily industrial/construction.
Frequency
Medium frequency in construction/industry contexts; low frequency in general conversation outside Australia.
Grammar
How to Use “diggers” in a Sentence
[diggers] + VERB (The diggers arrived/dug/found...)[ADJ] + diggers (mechanical/archaeological/hired diggers)[PREP] + diggers (a team of diggers, noise from diggers)Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Referring to hired equipment or subcontractors for construction.
Academic
Used in history (the Diggers movement) and archaeology (teams of diggers).
Everyday
Referring to machinery on a building site, or Australian slang for friends.
Technical
Specific types of digging machinery (e.g., 'hydraulic diggers').
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “diggers”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “diggers”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “diggers”
- Using 'diggers' as a singular noun (incorrect: 'a diggers'; correct: 'a digger'). Confusing 'diggers' (machines/people) with 'drillers' (machines that bore holes).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'diggers' is the plural form. The singular is 'digger'.
In technical use, 'excavator' is the precise term for the machine. 'Diggers' is a more general, common-use term that can refer to the machines or the people operating them.
No, it's a separate, informal development. It's thought to derive from the WWI term 'Digger' for Australian/New Zealand soldiers, not directly from excavation.
Rarely. The collocation 'gold diggers' almost exclusively refers to people (historically, prospectors; now, often pejoratively to people seeking wealthy partners). For machinery, you'd say 'gold mining equipment' or 'excavators at a gold mine'.
People or machines that excavate or remove earth/soil.
Diggers is usually neutral to technical (depending on sense) in register.
Diggers: in British English it is pronounced /ˈdɪɡəz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈdɪɡɚz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Gold digger (derogatory for a person seeking wealth from a partner).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of DIGGER-S: Several Digging Individuals, Giants, or Excavating RigS.
Conceptual Metaphor
EXCAVATION IS DISCOVERY (e.g., diggers of truth, gold diggers).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'diggers' most likely refer to a group of friends?