steam navvy

A steam navvy digs a deep trench beside the railway tracks.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A mechanical excavator: "steam navvy" refers to a large, steam-powered digging machine used for excavation, especially in construction, mining, or canal building. It is an older term, now largely replaced by "steam shovel."

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The steam navvy was essential for digging the foundation of the new bridge. (The steam-powered excavator was used to remove earth.)
  • Workers operated the steam navvy to clear the land for the railway. (They used the mechanical digger to prepare the ground.)

Advanced Usage

• "to work like a steam navvy": to work extremely hard and efficiently, often with great physical effort.
  • He laboured like a steam navvy all day to finish the project on time. (He worked tirelessly and with great power.)

Variants and Related Words

• Steam shovel (n): a synonym for "steam navvy," referring to the same machine.

  • The old steam shovel was replaced by a modern hydraulic excavator. (The steam-powered digger was upgraded.)

• Navvy (n): a contraction of "navigator," originally referring to a labourer who built canals (navigations). In "steam navvy," it describes the machine's function in excavation.

  • The navvy worked alongside the steam navvy to dig the canal. (The labourer assisted the machine.)

Synonyms

• Excavator: a machine used for digging and moving earth.
• Digger: a general term for a machine or person that digs.

Phrasal Verbs

Related Idioms