Standard Lemma guide

backhoe

noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈbæk.həʊ/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: B AE1 K HH OW2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A piece of excavating equipment, either an integral subassembly or an attachment, consisting of a digging bucket or scoop on the end of an articulated arm, drawn backwards to move earth; used in excavator/digger and backhoe tractors.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Ellipsis of backhoe tractor: A specialized tractor with the backhoe subassembly. This type of tractor has been superceded by the backhoe loader and trackhoe in most roles.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Ellipsis of backhoe loader: A multi-purpose tractor with a front-mounted loading bucket and a rear-mounted digging bucket. The tractor combines a front-end loader/loader (component) and an excavator/digger (component).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia, Canada, US, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis

Examples

  • Meronym: front-end loader
  • 2010, Robert Day, Foundation Engineering Handbook, 2nd edition, page 2.49, Backhoe pits and trenches are an economical means of performing subsurface exploration. The backhoe can quickly excavate the trench that can then be used to observe and test the in situ soil (see Fig. 2.29).

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: digger

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: heavy equipment

4

verb

Meaning 4

To excavate using such equipment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

an excavator whose shovel bucket is attached to a hinged boom and is drawn backward to move earth

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: power shovel, excavator, digger, shovel

History

Etymology

From back + hoe.

Across languages

Translations

51 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: багер (bager) — a piece of excavating equipment
  • Finnish: kaivinkone — a piece of excavating equipment
  • French: tractopelle — a piece of excavating equipment
  • French: rétrocaveuse — a piece of excavating equipment
  • German: Baggerschaufel — a piece of excavating equipment
  • Indonesian: beko — a piece of excavating equipment
  • Indonesian: bego — a piece of excavating equipment
  • Indonesian: bakhu — a piece of excavating equipment
  • Polish: koparka — a piece of excavating equipment
  • Russian: ковш (kovš) — a piece of excavating equipment
  • Thai: แบ็กโฮ — a piece of excavating equipment
  • Thai: รถแบ็กโฮ — a piece of excavating equipment
  • Arabic: عقرب — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Bulgarian: екскаватор (ekskavator) — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Catalan: retroexcavadora — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Catalan: retrocarregadora — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Catalan: excavadora carregadora — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Catalan: excavadora mixta — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Catalan: carregadora mixta — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Catalan: pala mixta — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Chinese Mandarin: 反鏟挖土機 /反铲挖土机 — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Danish: rendegraver — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Finnish: traktorikaivuri — a multi-purpose tractor
  • French: rétrocaveuse — a multi-purpose tractor
  • French: tractopelle — a multi-purpose tractor
  • French: chargeuse-pelleteuse — a multi-purpose tractor
  • French: pépine — a multi-purpose tractor
  • French: trax — a multi-purpose tractor
  • German: Baggerlader — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Hungarian: kotrórakodó — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Indonesian: beko — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Indonesian: bego — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Italian: terna — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Malay: pengorek-kaut — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Malay: ڤڠوريق کاءوت (pengurik ka'ut) — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Polish: koparkoładowarka — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Portuguese: retroescavadora — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Portuguese: retroescavadeira — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Russian: экскаватор (ekskavátor) — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Serbo-Croatian: građevinska kombinirka — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Slovene: traktorski kopač — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Spanish: retroexcavadora — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Spanish: retrocargadora — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Spanish: excavadora mixta — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Spanish: cargadora mixta — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Spanish: pala mixta — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Swedish: traktorgrävare — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Swedish: grävlastare — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Turkish: beko loder — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Turkish: kazıcı yükleyici — a multi-purpose tractor
  • Ukrainian: екскавáтор (ekskavátor) — a multi-purpose tractor