Definition of "shovel" []

• A tool with a handle and a broad scoop or blade for digging and moving material, such as dirt or snow. (noun)
• A large mechanical device or vehicle for heavy digging or excavation. (noun)
• The amount that a shovel can hold; a shovelful: One shovel of dirt. (noun)
• To move or remove with a shovel. (verb-transitive)
• To make with a shovel: shoveled a path through the snow. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "But a spokesperson for the department tells us they don't officially use the term shovel-ready."
• "The Department of Transportation does not officially use the term shovel-ready, but a spokesperson at the department says get ready for construction projects at a town near you."
• "When you hear the term shovel-ready, what do you think?"