1 B2 neutral
To break up and turn over the soil across an entire garden bed or plot.
"She dug over the vegetable patch before the first frost."
separable
dig over
B2 neutral separable transitive
To turn over the soil in a garden or plot thoroughly, breaking it up in preparation for planting.
In plain English
To dig all the soil in a garden area to make it soft and ready for planting.
What does "dig over" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To dig across the entirety (over) of an area.
Actually means
To dig all the soil in a garden area to make it soft and ready for planting.
Usage tip
Almost exclusively a gardening/horticulture term. Refers to systematically working over an entire area of ground. British English usage is most common. Rarely used figuratively.
Words that pair with "dig over"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
garden bed plot soil allotment border
How to conjugate "dig over"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dig over
I/you/we/they
3rd person
digs over
he/she/it
Past simple
diged over
yesterday
Past participle
diged over
have + pp
-ing form
diging over
continuous
Hear "dig over" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "dig over" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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