shovel meaning

shovel as a noun

1. a hand tool for lifting loose material; consists of a curved container or scoop and a handle

   Type of: hand tool

   Kinds: hand shovel, posthole digger, scoop

2. the quantity a shovel can hold

   Synonyms: shovelful, spadeful

   Type of: containerful

3. a fire iron consisting of a small shovel used to scoop coals or ashes in a fireplace

   Type of: fire iron

4. a machine for excavating

   Synonyms: power shovel, excavator, digger

   Type of: machine

   Kinds: backhoe, dredge, steam shovel

shovel as a verb

1. dig with or as if with a shovel
   • shovel sand
   • he shovelled in the backyard all afternoon long

   Type of: dig

   Related forms: shoveler

shovel in a sentence

• It'll take some time to shovel all the snow off the roof.
• A shovel full of snow can weigh as much as 20 pounds.
• I had no shovel, so I made do with a bricklayer's trowel.
• I don't have a shovel, but I know somebody who does.
• They were clearing the snow from the sidewalk with a shovel.

How to pronounce shovel

shovel is pronounced /ˈʃʌvəl/ in British English and /ˈʃʌvəl/ in American English. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.