Navvy

usgb/ˈnævi/
noun

A worker, usually a man, who does hard physical work, especially making roads, railways, and canals.

During the Industrial Revolution, many men worked as navvies to construct the railroads.
Visual representation of "navvy" - A worker, usually a man, who does hard physical work, especially making roads, railways, and canals.

Often appears as...

  • road navvy
  • railway navvy
Definition 1 of 1
Visual representation of "navvy"
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Historical Occupation

Navvy is historically linked to major construction projects of the 19th century, like railways.

Illustration for Historical Occupation
My great-grandfather was a navvy who helped build the Victorian railways.
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Physical Strength

The term 'navvy' connotes physical strength due to the nature of manual labor involved.

Illustration for Physical Strength
You'd have the build of a navvy after a few months of that tough digging work.
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Somewhat Outdated

Although still understood, 'navvy' is less commonly used in modern times, somewhat replaced by 'laborer'.

Illustration for Somewhat Outdated
He worked as a navvy, but these days they just call him a construction worker.
Visual representation of the word "Navvy"

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