badger

badger — noun

1. a furry mammal about the size of a small dog, with a black-and-white striped fac

1.nounB2
Definition

a furry mammal about the size of a small dog, with a black-and-white striped face, that digs deep tunnels in the ground and feeds mostly after dark.

Example

A badger crossed the country lane just before dawn and disappeared into the hedge.

subject: countable noun in narrative past tense

Mei watched a family of badgers come out of their burrow at sunset.

collocation: family of badgers / badger burrow

Common collocations
  • badger sett
  • badger cull
  • spot a badger
  • family of badgers

Usage Note

Often used as a generic plural ('Badgers are nocturnal') when describing what the species typically does. In British contexts it usually refers to Meles meles; in American contexts to Taxidea taxus.

Common Mistakes

I saw a badger animal in the woods.
I saw a badger in the woods.
'badger' is already a noun for the animal; don't add 'animal' after it.

badger — verb

Word family

  • badgering
    nounC1
  • badgered
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five verbs describe bothering someone with repeated demands, but they differ in force and setting. 'Pester' is the everyday neutral choice for small, annoying requests, often from children ('Stop pestering me for sweets'). 'Nag' is usually domestic and about reminders to do small chores ('She nagged him to take out the bins'). 'Badger' sits between 'pester' and 'harass': the asker is determined and persistent, often with a clear goal in mind, like a reporter chasing a quote. 'Harass' is the strongest and most legal-sounding word, suggesting behaviour that causes real distress and can break the law. 'Hound' suggests relentless chasing, often by journalists or creditors, with no escape for the person being pursued. So a child pesters, a spouse nags, a reporter badgers, a stalker harasses, and the press hounds a celebrity.

badger ↗pester ↗nag ↗harasshound ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • badger sett
  • badger cull
  • badger family

Adverbs

Phrases

  • badger someone for an answer
  • badger someone into doing something
  • keep badgering

Prepositions

Etymology

Middle EnglishModern English

The animal name 'badger' first appears in English in the 1500s. Its origin is uncertain, but the most accepted theory links it to the word 'badge', referring to the bright white stripe on the animal's forehead that looks like a marking or emblem. The verb sense, meaning 'to pester someone repeatedly,' grew out of the noun in the late 1700s, probably from the cruel sport of badger-baiting, in which dogs were set on a trapped badger and would worry it without letting up. The image of being attacked from all sides without rest carried over into the modern figurative meaning.