excavator

noun

ex·​ca·​va·​tor ˈek-skə-ˌvā-tər 

: one that excavates

especially : a power-operated shovel

Examples of excavator in a Sentence

The excavators found ancient tools at the site.

Recent Examples on the Web

Later, she’s brought in a police car to a nearby pond, strapped to an excavator and dunked into the water as a crowd of anti-immigrant protestors cheer on the public execution. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026

The press release said Colorado State Patrol investigated the incident and determined the excavator was improperly loaded on the trailer, causing the arm to exceed the bridge’s maximum clearance height. — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026

There was so much debris piled up that Portage hired a company to use an excavator to reach the top of the piles of debris. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026

In its northern section, excavators found a main street running east to west; this is intersected by a road running south to north, indicating some level of urban planning within the fortification. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

excavate + -or entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1815, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for excavator

• activator
• actuator
• agitator
• alligator
• allocator
• alternator
• animator
• annotator
• applicator
• arbitrator
• aspirator
• aviator

Medical Definition

excavator

noun

ex·​ca·​va·​tor ˈek-skə-ˌvāt-ər 

: an instrument used to open bodily cavities (as in the teeth) or remove material from them