Meanings
auger1
plural augers · alternative augre
- A snake or plumber's snake (plumbing tool).
- 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.
present singular third person augers · participle present augering · participle past augered · past augered · alternative augre
- To use an auger; to drill a hole using an auger.
- To proceed in the manner of an auger.
It augers down again behind him to gyre like a mindless deadly battling top.
2014, Steven R. Boyett, Mortality Bridge2 more examples
It augered into the water and vanishedunder the surface only to float up again, its keel pointing skyward.
2010, Clive Cussler, Jack Du Brul, The Silent SeaThere was no way to measure progress inside the sphere, to know whether it spun or leapt or wobbled like a top as it augered through the years.
2012, Ronald Wright, A Scientific Romance - uncommonArkansas; Missouri; Arkansas; MissouriTo daydream.
Auger2
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna long flexible steel coil for dislodging stoppages in curved pipes
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
auger · noun, verb
- Proto-Germanic*nabōgaizaz
- Proto-West Germanic*nabugaiʀ
- Old Englishnafugār“nave drill”
- Middle Englisha nauger
- Englishauger
From a rebracketing of Middle English a nauger (seen as an + auger), from Old English nafugār (“nave drill”, literally “nave spear”), from Proto-West Germanic *nabugaiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *nabōgaizaz. Cognate with Dutch avegaar.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Auger · proper noun
- FrenchAuger
- EnglishAuger
* As a French surname, borrowed from French Auger. * As a German surname, a variant of Auer, with the -g- said to reflect a West Frisian influence. * As an English surname, variant of Alger.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek τρύπανον
- τρύπανον (trúpanon)carpenter's tool
Bulgarian свредел, бургия
- свредел (svredel)carpenter's tool
- бургия (burgija)carpenter's tool
- сонда (sonda)hollow drill used to take core samples of soil
- сондирам (sondiram)drill holes using an auger
Catalan barrina
- barrinacarpenter's tool
Chinese Mandarin 螺絲鑚 /螺丝鑚, 螺旋鑽 /螺旋钻
- 螺絲鑚 /螺丝鑚carpenter's tool
- 螺旋鑽 /螺旋钻carpenter's tool
Czech nebozez
- nebozezcarpenter's tool
Danish naver, naverbor
- navercarpenter's tool
- naverborcarpenter's tool
Esperanto borilo
- borilocarpenter's tool
Finnish kaira, maakaira
- kairacarpenter's tool
- maakairahollow drill used to take core samples of soil
- maaperäkairahollow drill used to take core samples of soil
- kairatadrill holes using an auger
French tarière, tarière à trépan
- tarièrecarpenter's tool
- tarière à trépancarpenter's tool
- AugerTranslations
German Holzbohrer, Erdbohrer
- Holzbohrercarpenter's tool
- Erdbohrerhollow drill used to take core samples of soil
Hawaiian wili nui
- wili nuicarpenter's tool
Irish tarathar
- taratharcarpenter's tool
Italian succhiello, menarola
- succhiellocarpenter's tool
- menarolacarpenter's tool
- verrinaredrill holes using an auger
Malay pelir itik, pelitik
- pelir itikcarpenter's tool
- pelitikcarpenter's tool
Māori wiri
- wiricarpenter's tool
Persian برمه
- برمه (barme)carpenter's tool
Polish świder
- świdercarpenter's tool
Portuguese trado, verrumão
- tradocarpenter's tool
- verrumãocarpenter's tool
Russian бур, бура́в
- бур (bur)carpenter's tool
- бура́в (buráv)carpenter's tool
- сверло́ (sverló)carpenter's tool
Scottish Gaelic tora
- toracarpenter's tool
Slovak nebožiec
- nebožieccarpenter's tool
Spanish barrena, barreno
- barrenacarpenter's tool
- barrenocarpenter's tool
- taladradorcarpenter's tool
- taladrocarpenter's tool
- berbiquícarpenter's tool
- barrenahollow drill used to take core samples of soil
- taladrardrill holes using an auger
- barrenardrill holes using an auger
Swedish navare
- navarecarpenter's tool
Tagalog balibol, barena
- balibolcarpenter's tool
- barenacarpenter's tool
Turkish burgu
- burgucarpenter's tool
Welsh taradr
- taradrcarpenter's tool
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with auger
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
auger. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/auger
“auger.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/auger. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “auger,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/auger.
Source: auger on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.