Shovel
/ˈʃʌv.əl/noun
A tool with a broad blade and handle used for lifting and moving loose material.
Did you know?Shovel is not a spooky word itself, but its deep history is tangled with old Germanic tool-words that survived because people kept needing to dig, clear, and bury things.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skub- / *skubō-
“A scooping or digging implement (reconstructed ancestor; exact form uncertain).”
Old English
OE
scofl
“A shovel or spade.”
Middle English
ME
shovell / shovel
“A digging or scooping tool.”
Modern English
English
shovel
“A tool for lifting, throwing, or moving loose material.”