Usage of the character 挖

to dig
to excavate
to scoop out

wāxué

挖穴

[挖穴]

to excavate
to dig out a cave

wākēng

挖坑

[挖坑]

to dig a hole
(fig.) to make things difficult for sb
(neologism) (slang) (of a writer) to start work on a new project

wākǔ

挖苦

[挖苦]

to speak sarcastically
to make cutting remarks
also pr. (wāku)

wākuàng

挖矿

[挖礦]

to mine ore or minerals
(computing) to mine cryptocurrency

wākāi

挖开

[挖開]

to dig into
to cut a mine into

shēnwā

深挖

[深挖]

to dredge

ěrwā

耳挖

[耳挖]

earpick
curette

wājī

挖机

[挖機]

excavator; excavating machine

wādòng

挖洞

[挖洞]

to dig a hole

wājùn

挖浚

[挖浚]

to dredge

wādiào

挖掉

[挖掉]

to dig out
to eradicate

wākōng

挖空

[挖空]

to excavate
to hollow

kāiwā

开挖

[開挖]

to dig out; to excavate; to scoop out
to start digging

wājué

挖掘

[挖掘]

to excavate; (lit and fig.) to unearth; to dig into

wājué

挖角

[挖角]

to poach (talent, personnel from competitors)
to raid (a competitor for its talent)
Taiwan pr. (wājiǎo)

shūwā

疏挖

[疏挖]

to dredge
to dig out (a channel)

wābízi

挖鼻子

[挖鼻子]

to pick one's nose

wājuéjī

挖掘机

[挖掘機]

excavator

ěrwāsháo

耳挖勺

[耳挖勺]

(dialect) earpick
curette

wāqiángjiǎo

挖墙脚

[挖牆腳]

to undermine
to let someone down
to seduce someone away from something

ěrwāzi

耳挖子

[耳挖子]

earpick
curette

wātǔjī

挖土机

[挖土機]

excavator
backhoe

wāròubǔchuāng

挖肉补疮

[挖肉補瘡]

to cut one's flesh to cover a sore (idiom); faced with a current crisis, to make it worse by a temporary expedient

wākōngxīnsi

挖空心思

[挖空心思]

to dig for thoughts (idiom); to search everything for an answer
to rack one's brains

shùjùwājué

数据挖掘

[數據挖掘]

data mining

wājuéjīxiè

挖掘机械

[挖掘機械]

excavator
bulldozer

chīshuǐbùwàngwājǐngrén

吃水不忘挖井人

[吃水不忘挖井人]

see 吃水不忘掘井人 (chīshuǐbùwàngjuéjǐngrén)