# beaver away

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/beaver-away
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To work hard at a task.

## Examples

- She is beavering away at her homework.
- The students have been beavering away at their final projects all week to meet the deadline.
- While the rest of the team took a long lunch, he remained at his desk, beavering away at the complex financial report until it was perfect.

## Origin

From the metaphorical image of a person working as industriously as a beaver building its dam.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.