navvy

== English == === Etymology === Clipping of navigator, in reference to the navigation canals upon which these workers first toiled, + -y. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈnævi/ Rhymes: -ævi Hyphenation: nav‧vy === Noun === navvy (plural navvies) (chiefly UK, historical) A laborer on a civil engineering project such as a canal or railroad. an unskilled laborer ==== Derived terms ==== French navvy steam navvy ==== Related terms ==== navigation navigator ==== Translations ==== === Verb === navvy (third-person singular simple present navvies, present participle navvying, simple past and past participle navvied) (intransitive, UK, historical) To carry out physical labor on a civil engineering project.