navvy
2 synonyms for navvy, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — Someone who does heavy manual work building things such as canals or railways.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Etymology
Shortened from navigator, referring to the navigation canals these workers first dug, plus -y.
Full origin of navvy →