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badgers - 2 dictionary results

badg⋅er

  [baj-er]
Use badgers in a Sentence
–noun
1. any of various burrowing, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, as Taxidea taxus, of North America, and Meles meles, of Europe and Asia.
2. the fur of this mammal.
3. Australian.
a. a wombat.
b. bandicoot (def. 2).
4. (initial capital letter) a native or inhabitant of Wisconsin (the Badger State) (used as a nickname).
5. a swablike device for cleaning excess mortar from the interiors of newly laid tile drains.
–verb (used with object)
6. to harass or urge persistently; pester; nag: I had to badger him into coming with us.
Origin:
1515–25; var. of badgeard, perh. badge + -ard, in allusion to white mark or badge on head

Synonyms:
6. vex, bedevil, plague, worry, disturb, bait.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To badgers
badg·er   (bāj'ər)   
n.  
  1. Any of several carnivorous burrowing mammals of the family Mustelidae, such as Meles meles of Eurasia or Taxidea taxus of North America, having short legs, long claws on the front feet, and a heavy grizzled coat.
  2. The fur or hair of this mammal.
  3. Any of several similar mammals, such as the ratel.
tr.v.   badg·ered, badg·er·ing, badg·ers
To harass or pester persistently. See Synonyms at harass.

[Perhaps from badge.]
Word History: Our name for the Eurasian species of this mammal, which is noted for defending its burrow like a knight of old, may come from the badger's knightly emblem. The creature's white head with a broad black stripe on each side of the snout may have brought to mind a badge, hence badger. Good evidence supporting this theory is that an earlier name for the animal was bauson, which comes from the Old French word baucenc, usually referring to a white patch on a horse and also meaning "badger." Bauson is first recorded by 1375, badger in 1523.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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