doodlebugger
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
A dowser searching for subterranean natural resources such as water or oil.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
This was a "doodlebugger," a man who searches for oil with divining rods of wondrous shapes and descriptions. And not just any doodlebugger, but one of the hottest noses in the amateur oil-sniffing game – Walter J. Nelson.
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).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
A geophysicist working in the field to explore oil or other natural resources.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “doodlebugger” mean?
A dowser searching for subterranean natural resources such as water or oil.
Is “doodlebugger” formal or informal?
doodlebugger is generally slang.