sandhog

noun

sand·​hog ˈsand-ˌhȯg How to pronounce sandhog (audio)
-ˌhäg
: a laborer who works in underwater or underground excavation and construction (such as in the building of tunnels or bridge foundations)
Danger is part of the job for the tunnel workers, known as sandhogs, who work beneath New York's streets.Ian Fisher
They were all part of the fraternity of sandhogs, a rare breed of tunnel digger whose name comes from the workers who excavated the soft earth under the Brooklyn Bridge in the eighteen-seventies.David Grann

Examples of sandhog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mr. Donohue made his living as a sandhog, one of the urban miners who dig train and water tunnels deep in New York City’s bedrock. Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 29 May 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sandhog was in 1897

Dictionary Entries Near sandhog

Cite this Entry

“Sandhog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sandhog. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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