burrower

burrower — noun

1. an animal or similar creature that digs holes or tunnels in earth, sand, or snow

1.nounB2
Definition

an animal or similar creature that digs holes or tunnels in earth, sand, or snow to stay safe or live there

Example

The mole is a quick burrower and vanished under the loose soil.

be a burrower — classifying an animal by digging habit

The careful burrower pushed sand away from its den while Ada watched at the zoo.

Common collocations
  • quick burrower
  • careful burrower
  • strong burrower
  • deep burrower
Synonyms
  • digger

    broader and less biological; it can also refer to a person or a machine

  • tunneller

    focuses more on making a passage than on living in it

  • burrowing animal

    plain explanatory phrase used when the single word may be unfamiliar

Grammar Patterns

[animal] is a burrower

[adjective] burrower

Usage Note

Most often used for animals, insects, or similar creatures that make shelter in the ground. For people or machines, English usually prefers a more specific word such as 'miner', 'digger', or 'drill'.

Common Mistakes

The rabbit built a burrower in the hill.
The rabbit dug a burrow in the hill.
'burrower' is the animal that digs, while 'burrow' is the hole.
The robot is a burrower.
The robot is a digging machine.
'burrower' is usually used for living creatures, not equipment.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Burrower is a fairly general label for an animal known for making holes to live in or hide in. Digger is broader and looser: it can describe people, machines, or animals, so it sounds less biological. Tunneller puts more focus on the passage being made and is more likely in technical or descriptive writing. Burrowing animal is the clearest plain-English phrase when readers may not know the single word burrower. Use burrower when the creature's digging habit matters: 'The mole is a skilled burrower.' Use tunneller when the tunnel itself is the point: 'The crab is a rapid tunneller in wet sand.'

digger ↗tunneller ↗burrowing animal

Common collocations

Phrases

  • strong burrower
  • natural burrower
  • fast burrower
  • deep burrower

Prepositions

  • burrower in loose soil
  • burrower under the sand

Etymology

Middle EnglishEnglish

'Burrower' is formed in English from 'burrow' plus the suffix '-er', meaning a person, animal, or thing that does an action. The base word 'burrow' has been in English since Middle English and refers to a hole or tunnel in the ground. So 'burrower' literally means a creature that makes or uses such tunnels.