# auger

/ˈɔɡɝ/ (US) · /ˈɔːɡɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/auger
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. a boring tool

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a tool with a long, twisted blade used for drilling holes in wood, the earth, or ice.

For teachers: a tool featuring a helical bit used for boring holes in wood, soil, or ice; the spiral design allows for the removal of debris during the drilling process.

- The workers used a large auger to drill holes for the new fence posts.
- The ice fisherman spent the morning using a manual auger to bore through the thick frozen surface of the lake.

Usage: Commonly used in woodworking, construction, and geological sampling.

Teaching tip: This is a highly specific technical term; learners should distinguish it from the general word 'drill'.

### 2. plumbing tool

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a flexible tool used by plumbers to clear blockages in pipes.

For teachers: a flexible, snake-like device used in plumbing to dislodge obstructions in pipes or drains.

- When the sink wouldn't drain, the plumber used an auger to clear the pipe.
- The maintenance crew had to employ a motorised auger to reach the deep blockage in the main sewer line.

Usage: Often referred to as a 'drain auger' or 'closet auger' in professional contexts.

### 3. to drill

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to make a hole using an auger tool.

For teachers: to bore or drill a hole specifically using an auger; by extension, to move in a spiralling or drilling fashion.

- They had to auger deep into the soil to take a sample for the lab.
- The machine began to auger into the clay, slowly extracting a core sample for the geological survey.

Usage: Usually functions as a transitive verb taking a direct object.

## Examples

- The carpenter used an auger to drill a deep hole in the oak.
- Before the invention of the electric drill, workers used a hand auger to create the pilot holes for the mine shaft.
- The ice auger allowed the researchers to extract a core sample from the frozen lake, providing valuable data on the region's climate history over the last century.

---

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.