auger

Meanings

Noun

• A carpenter's tool for boring holes longer than those bored by a gimlet.
• A snake or plumber's snake .
• A tool used to bore holes in the ground, e.g. for fence posts
• A hollow drill used to take core samples of soil, ice, etc. for scientific study.

Verb

• To use an auger; to drill a hole using an auger.
• To proceed in the manner of an auger.

Origin

• From a rebracketing of Middle English nauger (seen as an + auger), from Old English nafogār, from Proto-Germanic *nabōgaizaz. Cognate with Dutch avegaar.