spadework

spade +‎ work

spadework (uncountable)

1. Work done by digging with a spade.
   • 1907, Ronald M. Burrows, The Discoveries In Crete, page vii:

     It is this help that the present book attempts to give, and the moment of its appearance, during a partial lull of excavation, is an opportune one. There is a chance to take breath and gather up the threads, with the possibility that the next month's spade-work will not put us out of date.

2. (figuratively) Work done in preparation for something else.

   There's a lot of spadework to be done before the scheme can be implemented.

   • 1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter VIII:

     Removing a portion of chair which had got entangled in my back hair, I said with a candour that became me well: “I was looking for a mouse.” If she had replied, “Ah, yes, indeed. I understand now. A mouse, to be sure. Quite,” everything would have been nice and smooth, but she didn't. “A mouse?” she said. “What do you mean?” Well, of course, if she didn't know what a mouse was, there was evidently a good deal of tedious spadework before us, and one would scarcely have known where to start.

   • 1964 February, “British Railways' passenger plans”, in Modern Railways, page 73:

     Some essential spadework, on which certain details of the plan will be founded, is yet unfinished.

• (work done by digging with a spade): digging
• (work done in preparation): prep, prep work, preparatory work, groundwork, homework

• spadeworker