Illustration of auger
- 1 2 screw
- 3 tapering pod
: any of various tools or devices with a helical shaft or part that are used for boring holes (as in wood, soil, or ice) or moving loose material (such as snow)
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The tool called an auger has nothing to do with people’s navels, but the words auger and navel are related. This tool was first used to bore a hole for the axle in the nave, or hub, of a wheel. Such a nave was called nafu in Old English. Nafu is related to the word nafela, which became our word navel. The Old English ancestor of auger was nafogar, which was made up of nafu and gar, meaning “spear.” By Middle English nafogar had lost a syllable and shrunk to nauger. Since a nauger sounds like an auger, people began to write an auger, and our modern spelling of the word was born.
Examples of auger in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The agency recommends testing thickness with an ice auger; at least 4 inches is recommended for ice fishing and 5 inches is recommended for snowmobiling.
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Deena Butterfield, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2025
How to unclog a bathtub drain full of hair
The easiest way to unclog a drain full of hair is by using an auger or a drain snake.
—Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025
Never insert your hands into the device's chute or auger, as the sharp machinery can be harmful.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 31 Dec. 2024
Stay clear of the auger, chute, collector unit, and any other rotating parts while using the snow blower.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Nov. 2024
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Deena Butterfield, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2025
How to unclog a bathtub drain full of hair
The easiest way to unclog a drain full of hair is by using an auger or a drain snake.
—Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025
Never insert your hands into the device's chute or auger, as the sharp machinery can be harmful.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 31 Dec. 2024
Stay clear of the auger, chute, collector unit, and any other rotating parts while using the snow blower.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for auger
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Dictionary Entries Near auger
Cite this Entry
“Auger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auger. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
auger
noun
au·ger
ˈȯ-gər 
: any of various tools made like a spiral or screw and used for boring holes or moving loose material
Etymology
Middle English auger "auger," an altered form of nauger, from Old English nafogār "tool for boring holes in the hub of a wheel"
Word Origin
The tool called an auger has nothing to do with people's navels, but the words auger and navel are related. This tool was first used to bore a hole for the axle in the nave or hub of a wheel. Such a nave was called nafu in Old English. Nafu is related to the word nafela, which has become our word navel. The Old English ancestor of auger was nafogār, which was made up of nafu and gār, meaning "spear." By Middle English nafogār had lost a syllable and shrunk to nauger, and it no longer made sense as a compound. Since a nauger sounds just like an auger, many people began to write an auger. That is how our modern spelling of the word was born.
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