desenterrar

to dig up

verb dehs-en-teh-RRAHR Rare

Origin: From des- (reversal prefix) + enterrar (to bury), from en- + tierra (earth).

Also means

to unearth

Usage Note

Desenterrar is a stem-changing verb (e → ie): desentierro, desentierras, etc. It is used both literally (to exhume a body or excavate an object) and figuratively (desenterrar recuerdos, to unearth memories; desenterrar un escándalo, to dig up a scandal). The opposite is enterrar (to bury). In archaeology and journalism the figurative use is especially frequent.

Examples

"Los arqueólogos desenterraron una antigua moneda romana."

Natural Translation

The archaeologists unearthed an ancient Roman coin.

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