Refine this word faster

Stronger alternatives Opposite tone Use in context Cross-language nuance

Badger

//ˈbæd͡ʒə// name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A village in Shropshire, England.
  2. 2
    A town in Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
  3. 3
    A habitational surname from Old English.
Noun
  1. 1
    Any mammal belonging to the genera Meles, Arctonyx, Mellivora and Taxidea.
  2. 2
    An itinerant licensed dealer in commodities used for food; a hawker; a huckster; -- formerly applied especially to one who bought grain in one place and sold it in another. obsolete
  3. 3
    A native or resident of the American state of Wisconsin.
  4. 4
    A child member of the St John Ambulance medical volunteering organisation.

    "She was also a leader, trainer and supervisor of the children's arm of St John's Ambulance (“the Badgers”). She worked over 50 hours a year but received no salary and was not required to attend events."

  5. 5
    sturdy carnivorous burrowing mammal with strong claws; widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere wordnet
Show 5 more definitions
  1. 6
    A native or resident of the American state, Wisconsin.
  2. 7
    a native or resident of Wisconsin wordnet
  3. 8
    A brush made of badger hair. obsolete
  4. 9
    A gang of robbers who robbed near rivers, into which they threw the bodies of those they murdered. in-plural, obsolete
  5. 10
    A person who is very fond of cricket. slang
Verb
  1. 1
    To pester; to annoy persistently; to press. transitive

    "He kept badgering her about her bad habits."

  2. 2
    persuade through constant efforts wordnet
  3. 3
    annoy persistently wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English bageard (“marked by a badge”), from bage (“badge”), referring to the animal's badge-like white blaze, equivalent to badge + -ard. Displaced earlier brock, from Old English brocc.

Etymology 2

From Middle English bageard (“marked by a badge”), from bage (“badge”), referring to the animal's badge-like white blaze, equivalent to badge + -ard. Displaced earlier brock, from Old English brocc.

Etymology 3

Unknown (Possibly from "bagger". "Baggier" is cited by the OED in 1467-8)

Etymology 4

See Badger State.

Etymology 5

From Old English *Bæcg (“a personal name”) + ofer (“hill spur”). The name of the town in Newfoundland likely derives from the surname of one of its first inhabitants.

Etymology 6

From badger, the animal.

See also for "badger"

Synonyms Antonyms Rhymes Sentences Translate Word Type Pronunciation Word Forms

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciation

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: badger