Meanings
shoveler1
plural shovelers · alternative shoveller
- One who, or that which, shovels.
The sand was loaded by 3 shovelers into wheelbarrows holding 3.6 cu. ft. each...
1910, Halbert Powers Gillette, Handbook of cost data for contractors and engineers
shoveler2
Synonyms & antonyms
nounfreshwater duck of the Northern Hemisphere having a broad flat bill
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
shoveler · noun
- Middle Englishschoveler
- Englishshoveler
From Middle English schoveler, equivalent to shovel + -er.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →shoveler · noun
- Middle English-er
- Middle English-ard
- Middle Englishshoulere
- Englishshoveler
From Middle English shoulere, shovellewre, shovelere, schoueler, alteration of earlier schovelerd, schulerde, schevelard (“shovelard”), from schovel (“shovel”), perhaps influenced by malard (“mallard”), on model of Middle Dutch lepelaar (“spoonbill”), with Middle English -ard replacing -aar and later itself replaced by Middle English -er, but not completely certain. Probably at least influenced by the shape of the bill and its feeding behavior.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian клокач, лопатар
- клокач (klokač)certain ducks with spoon-like bills
- лопатар (lopatar)certain ducks with spoon-like bills
Czech lžičák
- lžičákcertain ducks with spoon-like bills
Dutch slobeend
- slobeendcertain ducks with spoon-like bills
German Löffelente
- Löffelentecertain ducks with spoon-like bills
Hungarian lapátoló, kanalas réce
- lapátolóone who shovels
- kanalas récecertain ducks with spoon-like bills
Italian mestolone
- mestolonecertain ducks with spoon-like bills
Māori papaunguungu, pūtaitai
- papaunguungucertain ducks with spoon-like bills
- pūtaitaicertain ducks with spoon-like bills
- kuruwhengicertain ducks with spoon-like bills
- kuruwhengucertain ducks with spoon-like bills
Russian у́тка-коротконо́ска
- у́тка-коротконо́ска (útka-korotkonóska)certain ducks with spoon-like bills
Spanish cuchara común, pato cucharo
- cuchara comúncertain ducks with spoon-like bills
- pato cucharocertain ducks with spoon-like bills
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
shoveler. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shoveler
“shoveler.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shoveler. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shoveler,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shoveler.
Source: shoveler on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.