dig up

[dig] Origin

dig

1[dig] verb, dug or (Archaic) digged, dig·ging, noun
verb (used without object)
1.
to break up, turn over, or remove earth, sand, etc., as with a shovel, spade, bulldozer, or claw; make an excavation.
2.
to make one's way or work by or as by removing or turning over material: to dig through the files.
verb (used with object)
3.
to break up, turn over, or loosen (earth, sand, etc.), as with a shovel, spade, or bulldozer (often followed by up).
4.
to form or excavate (a hole, tunnel, etc.) by removing material.
5.
to unearth, obtain, or remove by digging (often followed by up or out).
6.
to find or discover by effort or search.
7.
to poke, thrust, or force (usually followed by in or into): He dug his heel into the ground.

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Dig up is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
noun
8.
thrust; poke: He gave me a dig in the ribs with his elbow.
9.
a cutting, sarcastic remark.
10.
an archaeological site undergoing excavation.
11.
digs, Informal. living quarters; lodgings.
12.
dig in,
a.
to dig trenches, as in order to defend a position in battle.
b.
to maintain one's opinion or position.
c.
to start eating.
13.
dig into, Informal. to attack, work, or apply oneself voraciously, vigorously, or energetically: to dig into one's work; to dig into a meal.
14.
dig out,
a.
to remove earth or debris from by digging.
b.
to hollow out by digging.
c.
to find by searching: to dig out facts for a term paper.
15.
dig up,
a.
to discover in the course of digging.
b.
to locate; find: to dig up information.

Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English diggen, perhaps representing an OE derivative of dīc ditch; Middle French diguer to dig (< Middle Dutch ) is attested later and apparently not the immediate source
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To dig up
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

dig
early 14c. (diggen), of uncertain origin, probably related to dike and ditch, either via O.Fr. diguer (ult. from a Gmc. source), or directly from an unrecorded O.E. word. Native words were deolfan, grafan (medial -f- pronounced as "v" in O.E.). Meaning "thrust or poke" (as with an elbow) is from 1819;
EXPAND
figurative sense of this is from 1840. Slang sense of "understand" first recorded 1934 in Black English, probably based on the notion of "excavate." A slightly varied sense of "appreciate" emerged 1939. Noun meaning "archaeological expedition" is from 1896. Related: Digging.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

dig definition


  1. tv. & in.
    to understand something. : I just don't dig what you are saying.
  2. tv.
    to appreciate something; to like something. : He really digs classical music.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

dig up

  1. Search out, find, obtain, as in I'm sure I can dig up a few more supporters. [Mid-1800s]

  2. dig up some dirt or the dirt. Find derogatory information about someone or something. For example, The editor assigned him to dig up all the dirt on the candidates. The slangy use of the noun dirt for "embarrassing or scandalous information" dates from about 1840, but this metaphoric expression is a century newer.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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