Shovel
/ˈʃʌvəl/
nounverbA2
Definition
A shovel is a tool that helps you dig or move things like dirt, sand, or snow. It has a long handle and a flat or curved blade at the end. When used as a verb, "to shovel" means to use this tool to pick up and move these materials.
Was this helpful?
⚡ See It in Action
A tool for digging or moving materials
- •He used a shovel to dig a hole for the tree.
- •The workers carried shovels to the construction site.
- •She bought a new snow shovel for winter.
To dig or move something with a shovel
- •They shoveled the snow off the sidewalk.
- •He shoveled dirt into the wheelbarrow.
- •We spent the afternoon shoveling gravel for the driveway.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "shovel" like "spoon," but much bigger and stronger, used outside to move earth or snow instead of food.
- ✓Picture a person outside in winter, using a shovel to clear snow from a driveway.
- ✓It's the feeling of hard work when you dig a hole in the garden or clear snow after a storm.
- ✓Sounds like "SHUV-uhl" → Imagine someone saying "shove" quickly but softer, pushing dirt away with a tool.
- ✓In stories, farmers or workers often use shovels to plant seeds or build something.
- ✓NOT like "hand" (which can pick up small things), a shovel is a tool made for heavy digging and moving.
- ✓NOT like "rake" (which pulls or gathers leaves), a shovel lifts and moves materials.
- ✓NOT like "bucket" (which holds things), a shovel is used to dig or scoop things out.
- ✓NOT like "dig" (the action), "shovel" is the tool or the action using that tool.
- ✓NOT like "machine" (big equipment), a shovel is a simple hand tool anyone can use.
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Dig: to make a hole or move earth (Use when focusing on the action, not the tool)
- •Spade: a similar digging tool but usually with a flat blade (Use when the blade is flat and used for cutting soil)
- •Scoop: to pick up loose material (Use for smaller amounts or softer materials like sand or snow)
- •Clear: to remove something from an area (Use when focusing on removing snow or debris without specifying the tool)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no prefix or suffix, simple root word)
- •Etymology: From Old English "shofol," meaning a tool for digging or moving earth
- •Historical development: Used for centuries to describe a hand tool for digging, especially in farming and construction
- •Modern usage: Still commonly used for gardening, construction, and snow removal; also used as a verb meaning to use the tool
- •Key insight: Simple, everyday tool word known by many people worldwide
💭 Reflect & Connect
•How does using a shovel change the way people work outside compared to using their hands?
•Can you think of situations where you would need a shovel but not other tools like a rake or broom?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.People use a shovel to ___ snow or dirt when they need to move it from one place to another.
2.When the ground is hard, it is easier to ___ with a shovel than with your hands.
3.Unlike a rake, a shovel is used to ___ materials by lifting them, not pulling.
4.After the storm, the workers shoveled the driveway ___ so cars could pass.
5.You usually hold a shovel by the ___ to dig or move things.
6.If you want to plant a tree, you need to ___ a hole big enough for the roots.
7.When someone says "shovel it in," they often mean to ___ food quickly or in large amounts.