dig

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

To work like a digger; to study ploddingly and laboriously.

Register: dated, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Peter dug at his books all the harder.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “dig” mean?

To work like a digger; to study ploddingly and laboriously.

Is “dig” formal or informal?

dig is generally dated, slang.