Auger
/ˈɔːɡər/noun
A tool with a helical blade used for boring holes in wood, soil, or ice.
Did you know?English auger comes from an old word that was reanalyzed by sound shift, a classic example of how words can be “reborn” through misdivision and become something entirely new.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂eyǵ-
“to increase, multiply”
Old English
OE
nafogār
“nave-borer, a tool for boring the hole in a wheel hub”
Middle English
English
auger
“a boring tool”
Modern English
English
auger
“a tool for boring holes”