noun

auger

AW-guh

Auger (noun) means a tool with a spiralling metal shaft used for boring holes in wood, ice or ground, turned by hand with a brace or driven by a machine. Example: “He drilled the fence-post holes with a petrol auger.”

noun

A tool with a spiralling metal shaft used for boring holes in wood, ice or ground, turned by hand with a brace or driven by a machine.

"He drilled the fence-post holes with a petrol auger."

"An ice auger will get you through a foot of lake ice in a minute."

A rotating helical screw inside a tube or trough that moves loose material such as grain, snow, wood pellets or concrete along its length.

"The auger feeds pellets from the hopper into the burn pot."

"Grain jammed the auger and stopped the whole line."

verb

To bore or drill a hole using such a tool.

"We augered a dozen holes along the boundary before lunch."

How to Use Auger

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA big corkscrew-shaped tool for drilling holes or moving loose stuff along.

When to use it

Neutral. Standard in construction, farming, drilling and heating.

Memory tip

Auger with an e is the tool; augur with a u is the verb meaning to foretell, as in 'this augurs well'.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

augur → augment → awl

Common pairings

ice auger earth auger post hole auger auger bit auger flighting

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

He drilled the fence-post holes with a petrol _____.

Etymology

From Old English nafogar, literally 'nave-borer', a tool for piercing a wheel hub. The initial n was lost when 'a nauger' was reanalysed as 'an auger'.

Origin: Old English

Synonyms

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drill bit borer gimlet screw bit screw conveyor feed screw bore drill

Related Words

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Rhymes for auger

Ruger luger Kruger

See all rhymes for auger →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between auger and augur?

An auger is a drilling or conveying tool. To augur is to be a sign of something to come, most often in the phrase 'augurs well' or 'augurs badly'. They sound the same, which is why the spelling error is so common.

What is the difference between an auger and a drill?

A drill is the machine that supplies the turning power; an auger is a specific kind of bit or shaft with a wide continuous spiral. That spiral clears waste out of the hole as it cuts, which is why augers suit deep holes in wood, soil and ice.

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