Definitions
UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK
an unskilled laborer.
Suppose two lads, fresh from school, go out into the world to earn their living; one becomes a navvy and one a clerk. In five years' time these two young men will probably be very different in appearance from one another. The navvy will …
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK
(intransitive, UK, historical) To carry out physical labor on a civil engineering project.
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UK
#3·Apr 27, 2026UK
(chiefly, _, UK, historical) A laborer on a civil engineering project such as a canal or railroad.
Suppose two lads, fresh from school, go out into the world to earn their living; one becomes a navvy and one a clerk. In five years' time these two young men will probably be very different in appearance from one another. The navvy will …
Origin: , in reference to the navigation canals upon which these workers first toiled, +. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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