dig

English Online Dictionary. What means dig‎? What does dig mean?

Translingual

Symbol

dig

1. (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Digo.

See also

• Wiktionary's coverage of Digo terms

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English diggen (“to dig”), alteration of Old English dīcian (“to dig a ditch, to mound up earth”) (compare Old English dīcere (“digger”)) from dīc, dīċ (“dike, ditch”) from Proto-Germanic *dīkaz, *dīkiją (“pool, puddle”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- (“to stab, dig”). Additionally, Middle English diggen may derive from an unrecorded suffixed variant, *dīcgian. Akin to Danish dige (“to dig, raise a dike”), Swedish dika (“to dig ditches”). Related to Middle French diguer (“to dig”), from Old French dikier, itself a borrowing of the same Germanic root (from Middle Dutch dijc). More at ditch, dike.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪɡ/
• Rhymes: -ɪɡ

Verb

dig (third-person singular simple present digs, present participle digging, simple past and past participle dug or (archaic) digged)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To move hard-packed earth out of the way, especially downward to make a hole with a shovel. Or to drill, or the like, through rocks, roads, or the like. More generally, to make any similar hole by moving material out of the way.
2. (transitive) To get by digging; to take from the ground; often with up.

3. (mining) To take ore from its bed, in distinction from making excavations in search of ore.
4. (US, slang, dated) To work like a digger; to study ploddingly and laboriously.
5. (figurative) To investigate, to research, often followed by out or up.
6. To thrust; to poke.
7. (volleyball) To defend against an attack hit by the opposing team by successfully passing the ball

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

dig (plural digs)

1. An archeological or paleontological investigation, or the site where such an investigation is taking place.

   Synonym: excavation

2. A thrust; a poke.

   Synonym: jab
3. (volleyball) A defensive pass of the ball that has been attacked by the opposing team.
4. (cricket) An innings.
5. A cutting, sarcastic remark.

   Synonym: jibe
6. The occupation of digging for gold.
7. (US, colloquial, dated) A plodding and laborious student.
8. (UK, dialect, dated) A tool for digging.
9. (music, slang) A rare or interesting vinyl record bought second-hand.

Derived terms

• dig box

Translations

See also

• cratedigger
• digs

Etymology 2

From African American Vernacular English; due to lack of writing of slave speech, etymology is difficult to trace, but it has been suggested that it is from Wolof dëgg, dëgga (“to understand, to appreciate”). It has also been suggested that it is from Irish dtuig, thus being a Doublet of twig. Others do not propose a distinct etymology, instead considering this a semantic shift of the existing English term (compare dig in/dig into).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪɡ/
• Rhymes: -ɪɡ

Verb

dig (third-person singular simple present digs, present participle digging, simple past and past participle dug)

1. (dated slang) To understand.
3. (dated slang, transitive) To appreciate, or like.

Derived terms

• dig on

Translations

Etymology 3

Shortening.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪd͡ʒ/

Noun

dig (uncountable)

1. (medicine, colloquial) Digoxin.

Etymology 4

Unknown.

Noun

dig (plural digs)

1. (Lancashire, obsolete) A duck.
   • 10 March, 1616, excerpt from "A true and perfect Inventory of all the Goods &c. which late were of Philippe Oldfeid," reprinted in 1890, J.P. Earwaker (ed., compiler), "Badwall Township: Berington of Moorsbarrow and Bradwall, Pedigree" in The History of the Ancient Parish of Sandbach, Co. Chester. [… ]

     Powltrey, &c, &c.
     Item ten turkeys [...]
     Item three Digs [an old Cheshire word for duck] and a Drake [...]
     Item ffower Capons [...]

     [The word's gloss has been inserted by Earwaker]

References

See also

• infra dig (etymologically unrelated)

Anagrams

• GDI, GDI+, GID, IgD, gid

Afrikaans

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dəχ/

Etymology 1

From Dutch dicht, from Middle Dutch dicht, from Old Dutch *thīht, from Proto-Germanic *þinhtaz.

Adjective

dig (attributive digte, comparative digter, superlative digste)

1. closed, shut, tight
2. dense, thick (e.g. smoke)

Inflection

Etymology 2

From Dutch dichten, from Middle Dutch dichten, from Latin dictō.

Verb

dig (present dig, present participle digtende, past participle gedig)

1. (intransitive) to compose a poem

Derived terms

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɑj/, [ˈd̥ɑ̈(j)]
• Rhymes: -aj

Pronoun

dig (nominative du, possessive din)

1. (personal) you (2nd person singular object pronoun)

Usage notes

Also used as a reflexive pronoun with a 2nd person subject

Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dʲiɣʲ/

Noun

dig

1. inflection of deug:
   1. accusative/dative singular
   2. nominative/accusative/vocative dual

Mutation

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French digue.

Noun

dig n (plural diguri)

1. dike

Declension

Scottish Gaelic

Verb

dig

1. Obsolete spelling of tig.

Swedish

Alternative forms

• dej (strongly colloquial)

Etymology

From Old Norse þik, from Proto-Germanic *þek, from Proto-Indo-European *te-ge.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɛj/
• (Scania) IPA^(key): /daj/
• Rhymes: -ɛj, (Scania) -aj

Pronoun

dig

1. you (objective case, singular)
2. reflexive case of du: compare yourself

Usage notes

• Note that some verbs have special senses when used reflexively. For example, do not confuse du lär dig att... ("you learn to...") [reflexive] with jag lär dig att... ("I teach you to...") or du lär dig själv att... ("you teach yourself to..."). Here, lär means teach(es) if it is not reflexive, but learn(s) if it is reflexive. Thus, the separate pronoun "dig själv" is needed when object and subject agree, even though the verb should not be used in the reflexive case.
• Also note that in the imperative, when there's usually no explicit subject given, the "själv" is dropped.
• Dej (along with mej) was popular as a semi-informal spelling around the 1970s to 1980s, and is therefore seen in many old song lyrics, for example. Usage has now mostly reverted back to dig.

Declension

Derived terms

• dig själv

See also

• själv

References

• dig in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• dig in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• dig in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Welsh

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /diːɡ/
• Rhymes: -iːɡ

Noun

dig m (uncountable)

1. anger, wrath

   Synonyms: dicter, digofaint, llid

Adjective

dig (feminine singular dig, plural dig, equative diced, comparative dicach, superlative dicaf)

1. angry, wrathful

   Synonym: dicllon

2. indignant
3. bitter, grievous

Derived terms

• dicter, digofaint (“anger”)
• dicllon (“wrathful”)

Mutation

References

Yola

Etymology

From Middle English digge.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪɡ/

Noun

dig

1. duck

   Synonyms: digger, duucks

References

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 35