The difference between Dig and Excavation
When used as nouns, dig means an archeological or paleontological investigation, or the site where such an investigation is taking place, whereas excavation means the act of excavating, or of making hollow, by cutting, scooping, or digging out a part of a solid mass.
Dig is also verb with the meaning: to move hard-packed earth out of the way, especially downward to make a hole with a shovel. or to drill, or the like, through rocks, roads, or the like. more generally, to make any similar hole by moving material out of the way.
check bellow for the other definitions of Dig and Excavation
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Dig as a verb (transitive, intransitive):
To move hard-packed earth out of the way, especially downward to make a hole with a shovel. Or to drill, or the like, through rocks, roads, or the like. More generally, to make any similar hole by moving material out of the way.
Examples:
"They dug an eight-foot ditch along the side of the road."
"In the wintertime, heavy truck tires dig into the road, forming potholes."
"If the plane can't pull out of the dive it is in, it'll dig a hole in the ground."
"My seven-year-old son always digs a hole in the middle of his mashed potatoes and fills it with gravy before he starts to eat them."
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Dig as a verb (transitive):
To get by digging; to take from the ground; often with up.
Examples:
"to dig potatoes; to dig up gold"
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Dig as a verb (mining):
To take ore from its bed, in distinction from making excavations in search of ore.
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Dig as a verb (US, slang, dated):
To work like a digger; to study ploddingly and laboriously.
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Dig as a verb (figurative):
To investigate, to research, often followed by out or up.
Examples:
"to dig up evidence; to dig out the facts"
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Dig as a verb:
To thrust; to poke.
Examples:
"He dug an elbow into my ribs and guffawed at his own joke."
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Dig as a verb (volleyball):
To defend against an attack hit by the opposing team by successfully passing the ball
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Dig as a noun:
An archeological or paleontological investigation, or the site where such an investigation is taking place.
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Dig as a noun (US, colloquial, dated):
A plodding and laborious student.
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Dig as a noun:
A thrust; a poke.
Examples:
"He guffawed and gave me a dig in the ribs after telling his latest joke."
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Dig as a noun (UK, dialect, dated):
A tool for digging.
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Dig as a noun (volleyball):
A defensive pass of the ball that has been attacked by the opposing team.
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Dig as a verb (slang):
To understand or show interest in.
Examples:
"You dig?"
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Dig as a verb (slang):
To appreciate, or like.
Examples:
"Baby, I dig you."
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Dig as a noun (medicine, colloquial):
Digoxin.
Examples:
"'dig toxicity"
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Excavation as a noun (uncountable):
The act of excavating, or of making hollow, by cutting, scooping, or digging out a part of a solid mass.
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Excavation as a noun (countable):
A cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping.
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Excavation as a noun (countable):
An uncovered cutting in the earth, in distinction from a covered cutting or tunnel.
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Excavation as a noun (countable):
The material dug out in making a channel or cavity.
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Excavation as a noun (uncountable):
Archaeological research that unearths buildings, tombs and objects of historical value.
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Excavation as a noun (countable):
A site where an archaeological exploration is being carried out.