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shovel

Syllabification: (shov·el)

Pronunciation: /ˈSHəvəl/

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Definition of shovel

noun

a tool with a broad flat blade and typically upturned sides, used for moving coal, earth, snow or other material.
a machine or part of a machine having a shape or function similar to that of a shovel.
an amount of something carried or moved with shovel:a few shovels of earth

verb (shoveled, shoveling ; Britishshovelled, shovelling)

[with object]

move (coal, earth, snow, or similar material) with a shovel:she shoveled coal on the fire
remove snow from (an area) with a shovel:I’ll clean the basement and shovel the walk
informal put or push (something, typically food) somewhere quickly and in large quantities:Dave was shoveling pasta into his mouth

Derivatives

shovelful

Origin:

Old English scofl, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schoffel, German Schaufel, also to the verb shove

Spelling rule

Do not double the final consonant when adding endings that begin with a vowel to a word that ends in a vowel plus a consonant, if the stress is not at the end of the word (as in target): (shovels, shoveling, shoveled).

shovel in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of shovel in the British & World English dictionary

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