Excavator: meaning, definitions and examples

Used in construction or mining to describe heavy and large machinery for digging and moving large amounts of earth.

• The construction team used an excavator to prepare the site for the new building

A general term that can refer to any machine or person that digs. It's less formal and often used colloquially.

• He rented a digger to help landscape his garden

Refers to a piece of equipment that has a blade on the front and a smaller, hinged arm and bucket on the back, often used for smaller construction tasks and in urban areas.

• The worker operated the backhoe to dig a trench for the new water pipes in the neighborhood

A hand tool used by individuals for digging or transferring materials like soil, gravel, or snow. It is also used metaphorically to indicate manual or smaller-scale operations.

• She used a shovel to plant the new trees in her backyard

This term is often used to describe a heavy machinery used in construction and mining to dig and move large amounts of earth. It is a common piece of equipment in worksites.

• The excavator dug a large trench for the new pipeline.
• Using the excavator, they quickly cleared the area for the new building foundation.

An archaeologist is a professional who studies human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains. This term is mainly used in academic and research contexts.

• The archaeologist discovered a set of ancient tools in the desert.
• As an archaeologist, she spends a lot of time analyzing pottery shards.

Commonly refers to a person or a tool/machine used for digging. While it can be used informally for a person who digs for a living, it can also be a simple term for an implement like a shovel or machinery.

• The digger unearthed the old coins buried in the backyard.
• They hired a digger to help with the garden landscaping.

This term is often used to describe individuals who perform work in the field, especially in agriculture, social research, or scientific studies. It implies hands-on work outside of an office environment.

• Fieldworkers collected soil samples from the agricultural plots for analysis.
• As a fieldworker, she frequently interviews locals to gather data for her research.