auger

Definition

A drilling tool that bores holes into wood, ice, or earth using a helical screw blade, like a corkscrew with ambition. Carpenters use small ones for precise holes, while landscapers deploy massive versions to drill fence post holes or tap maple trees. Plumbers call their drain-clearing snake version an auger too, because why make terminology simple?

Example Usage

The contractor pulled out a gas-powered auger to drill holes for the deck posts, finishing in minutes what would have taken hours with a manual post-hole digger.

Source: Carpentry and construction terminology

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