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Dig vs Dib - What's the difference?

dig | dib |

As verbs the difference between dig and dib

is that dig is to move hard-packed earth out of the way, especially downward to make a hole with a shovel. Or to drill, or the like, through rocks, roads, or the like. More generally, to make any similar hole by moving material out of the way while dib is to dig a hole by poking; especially, to dig a small hole in soil for the purpose of planting a bulb or seed.

As nouns the difference between dig and dib

is that dig is an archeological investigation while dib is a dibber (gardening tool.

dig

English

(wikipedia dig)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) , from (etyl) (m), itself a borrowing of the same Germanic root (from (etyl) (m)). More at ditch, dike.

Verb

  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=8 , passage=Miss Thorn began digging up the turf with her lofter: it was a painful moment for me. ¶ “You might at least have tried me, Mrs. Cooke,” I said.}}
  • (label) To get by digging; to take from the ground; often with up .
  • (label) To take ore from its bed, in distinction from making excavations in search of ore.
  • To work like a digger; to study ploddingly and laboriously.
  • (label) To investigate, to research, often followed by out'' or ''up .
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=September-October, author=(Henry Petroski)
  • , magazine=(American Scientist), title= The Evolution of Eyeglasses , passage=Digging deeper, the invention of eyeglasses is an elaboration of the more fundamental development of optics technology. The ability of a segment of a glass sphere to magnify whatever is placed before it was known around the year 1000, when the spherical segment was called a reading stone, essentially what today we might term a frameless magnifying glass or plain glass paperweight.}}
  • To thrust; to poke.
  • * Robynson (More's Utopia)
  • You should have seen children dig and push their mothers under the sides, saying thus to them: Look, mother, how great a lubber doth yet wear pearls.
    Derived terms
    * dig in * dig into * dig over * dig out * dig up

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An archeological investigation.
  • (US, colloquial, dated) A plodding and laborious student.
  • A thrust; a poke.
  • He guffawed and gave me a dig in the ribs after telling his latest joke.
  • Synonyms
    * (archaeological investigation) excavation

    Etymology 2

    From (African American Vernacular English); due to lack of writing of slave speech, etymology is .Random House Unabridged, 2001 Others do not propose a distinct etymology, instead considering this a semantic shift of the existing English term (compare dig in/dig into'').eg: OED, "dig", from ME vt ''diggen

    Verb

  • (slang) To understand or show interest in.
  • You dig ?
  • (slang) To appreciate, or like.
  • Baby, I dig you.

    References

    dib

    English

    (wikipedia dib)

    Etymology 1

    Verb

    (dibb)
  • To dig a hole by poking; especially, to dig a small hole in soil for the purpose of planting a bulb or seed
  • To move in a rapid, cautious manner; especially, with movement like a mouse or rat.
  • See also
    * dibbing * dibber * dibble * dibs

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A dibber (gardening tool)
  • One of the small bones in the knee joints of sheep uniting the bones above and below the joints.
  • Etymology 2

    Verb

    (dibb)
  • (scouting)
  • Anagrams

    * * ----