Meaning & use

shovel

noun·Everyday

A tool with a broad blade and a long handle, used for digging or moving loose material such as earth or snow.

See it in a sentence

He grabbed a shovel from the shed to clear the snow from the driveway.

Workers used shovels to spread gravel evenly across the path.

A note on using this word

Also used as a verb meaning to move material with a shovel, or informally to eat quickly, as in "shovel food into your mouth."

Words with a similar meaning

spade

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

To move, clear, or dig using a shovel.

They spent the whole morning shoveling snow off the sidewalk.

Make it your own

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