Burrowing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of excavating a space in the ground to create a refuge or find food involves tunneling or digging out an area for habitation or safety
2. Engaging in the action of forming an underground passageway or nest, often seen in animal behavior, is characterized by creating a protective or living space
3. The act of creating a tunnel or excavation in soil or other material typically serves as a means of shelter or food acquisition and is commonly performed by various creatures

Etymology: Burrowing is the present participle of "burrow", and the verb's story starts with a shelter rather than a digging tool. Middle English "borowe" and "borewe" meant a refuge for an animal, a lair, and the word seems to be a variant of "burgh", meaning a fortified dwelling or stronghold. That "burgh" is the same root that gave English "borough" and, further back, the Proto-Germanic "burgz", meaning stronghold or city. So an animal's hideaway was once named after the walled place where people lived. The connection to digging is less certain. "Burrow" may instead be linked to "bury", which meant "to dig", and that would point to a different ancestry based on protecting or hiding. The old sense of "burgh" as a stronghold is not attested in Old English itself, but Dutch "burcht", meaning a fortress, has a similar meaning and supports the link to fortification.

Synonyms: digging, excavating, tunneling, boring, hollowing

Antonyms: filling, closing, blocking, obstructing