shovel

 
Pronunciation: /ˈʃʌv(ə)l/

noun

  • a tool resembling a spade with a broad blade and typically upturned sides, used for moving coal, earth, snow, or other material: an area of turf had been dug up by vandals using a pick and shovel
  • 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 a shovel: a few shovels of earth

verb (shovels, shovelling, shovelled; US shovels, shoveling, shoveled)

[with object and adverbial]
  • move (coal, earth, snow, or similar) with a shovel: she shovelled coal on the fire
  • informal put or push (something, typically food) somewhere quickly and in large quantities: Dave was shovelling pasta into his mouth

Derivatives

shovelful

noun (plural shovelfuls)

Origin:

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

Spelling rule

Double the l when adding endings which begin with a vowel to words which end in a vowel plus l (as in travel): (shovels, shovelling, shovelled).