steam navvy

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English[edit]

Noun[edit]

steam navvy (plural steam navvies)

  1. (historical) A steam-powered excavator used in making docks, canals, etc.
    • 1940 July, “The Why and the Wherefore: Chevet Tunnel Demolition, L.M.S.R.”, in Railway Magazine, page 430:
      Three steam navvies, 350 men, 5 locomotives, and 120 wagons, were employed to remove the one and a half million tons of debris.
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