Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [nav-ee]
- /ˈnæv i/
- /ˈnæv.i/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
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- [nav-ee]
- /ˈnæv i/
Definitions of navvy word
- noun plural navvy an unskilled manual laborer. 1
- noun navvy A laborer employed in the excavation and construction of a road, railroad, or canal. 1
- noun navvy construction worker 1
- countable noun navvy A navvy is a person who is employed to do hard physical work, for example building roads or canals. 0
- noun navvy a labourer on a building site, excavations, etc 0
- noun navvy an unskilled laborer, as on canals, roads, etc. 0
Information block about the term
Origin of navvy
First appearance:
before 1825 One of the 37% newest English words
First recorded in 1825-35; short for navigator
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Navvy
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
navvy popularity
A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 65% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.
According to our data about 57% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.
navvy usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for navvy
noun navvy
- laborer — a person engaged in work that requires bodily strength rather than skill or training: a laborer in the field.
- roustabout — a wharf laborer or deck hand, as on the Mississippi River.
- labourer — Standard spelling of laborer.
- worker — a person or thing that works.
- hand — Learned [lur-nid] /ˈlɜr nɪd/ (Show IPA), 1872–1961, U.S. jurist.
Top questions with navvy
- what is navvy?
- what is a navvy?