digging
digging — noun
1. the activity of breaking up the ground with a spade, a machine, or by hand, usua
the activity of breaking up the ground with a spade, a machine, or by hand, usually so that earth can be lifted out to form a hole or to set a plant in place.
After two hours of digging, Theo had a pit deep enough to plant the young apple tree.
after + period of digging
The dog's digging in the flower bed left muddy paw prints all over the patio.
digging in + place noun
Apinya wore thick gloves to protect her hands during a long afternoon of digging.
Heavy rain made digging in the back garden almost impossible last weekend.
The workers stopped their digging when the spade hit an old metal pipe.
- excavation
more formal; suggests larger or more careful work
- shovelling
emphasises the tool and the lifting motion, not making a hole
- filling in
the opposite action: putting earth back into a hole
文法句型
digging for + noun
digging in + noun
用法筆記
Almost always uncountable. Often follows a possessive (his digging, the dog's digging) or appears with prepositions of place: digging in the garden, digging through the soil.
常見錯誤
2. the work of looking patiently and closely through records or other material to f
the work of looking patiently and closely through records or other material to find facts that someone has hidden or that people have stopped paying attention to.
A bit more digging in the council archives revealed who really owned the warehouse.
a bit more + digging
Élise spent three nights digging through old emails for proof of the deal.
digging through + records
The reporter's digging into the company's tax records made the chief executive very nervous.
After some careful digging, Imran found his grandmother's birth certificate in a town office in Lahore.
It took weeks of digging before the team understood what had really caused the accident.
- investigation
more formal and more systematic; often official
- research
neutral and broader; not always about hidden facts
- snooping
informal and disapproving; suggests prying into private matters
文法句型
digging into + noun
digging through + noun
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this never refers to soil. The object of investigation is named with into + topic (digging into someone's past) or through + source (digging through files). Common in journalism and detective contexts.
常見錯誤
3. in volleyball, the move of stopping a fast or low ball with your forearms held f
in volleyball, the move of stopping a fast or low ball with your forearms held flat together and your knees bent, so that a teammate can play the next shot.
Coach Haruto spent the morning teaching the new players the basics of digging.
basics of digging (sport sense)
Salma's quick digging saved three points in the final set against the visiting team.
quick digging + saved points
Good digging requires soft arms and very fast footwork.
The team's poor digging let easy balls drop on their side of the net.
- the dig
the single action; digging refers to the skill or repeated action
文法句型
digging in volleyball
用法筆記
A sport-specific term. Usually appears with adjectives describing skill (good, poor, quick) or in instructional phrases (the basics of digging). Outside volleyball coverage, readers may not recognise this sense.