The Collaborative International Dictionary
Dig \Dig\ (d[i^]g), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dug (d[u^]g) or Digged (d[i^]gd); p. pr. & vb. n. Digging. -- Digged is archaic.] [OE. diggen, perh. the same word as diken, dichen (see Dike, Ditch); cf. Dan. dige to dig, dige a ditch; or (?) akin to E. 1st dag. [root]67.]
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To turn up, or delve in, (earth) with a spade or a hoe; to open, loosen, or break up (the soil) with a spade, or other sharp instrument; to pierce, open, or loosen, as if with a spade.
Be first to dig the ground.
--Dryden. To get by digging; as, to dig potatoes, or gold.
To hollow out, as a well; to form, as a ditch, by removing earth; to excavate; as, to dig a ditch or a well.
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To thrust; to poke. [Colloq.]
You should have seen children . . . dig and push their mothers under the sides, saying thus to them: Look, mother, how great a lubber doth yet wear pearls.
--Robynson (More's Utopia). -
To like; enjoy; admire. The whole class digs Pearl Jam. To dig down, to undermine and cause to fall by digging; as, to dig down a wall. To dig from, To dig out of, To dig out, To dig up, to get out or obtain by digging; as, to dig coal from or out of a mine; to dig out fossils; to dig up a tree. The preposition is often omitted; as, the men are digging coal, digging iron ore, digging potatoes. To dig in,
to cover by digging; as, to dig in manure.
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To entrench oneself so as to give stronger resistance; -- used of warfare or negotiating situations.
to dig in one's heels To offer stubborn resistance.
Usage examples of "to dig down".
The men cleared sprawling vines away from the spot where their stake stood, and then began to dig down into the hard earth.
I think that if you were to dig down deeply into our real motives you would find that the chief reason why we have not committed suicide or died out already from discouragement at the futility of existence is our faith in the machines.
It became our task to dig down to them, kill their miners and undermine the Russian positions instead.
Somehow-Kurgan would have given his left arm to know the secret-they were able to dig down into the mind of the regent and extract that one thing he feared the most.
If it was a success any number of men were willing to dig down to put money in.
The water has been there for centuries, just waiting for us to dig down to it.
Never went near the pyramid again because they were too busy trying to dig down through the vault of the city—.
Never went near the pyramid again because they were too busy trying to dig down through the vault of the citymy city.