- I heard this term used by my tennis coach whenever someone on the team got lazy during a match or during practice. Obviously the term doesn't literally refer to digging into anything. Rather, it's definition is based on metaphorical resemblance. Digging into the ground means going deeper into it as digging into a game means focusing harder on winning it.
dig in
verb; compounding
To focus deeper on or work harder for something.
Etymology : dig into. Formed by the compounding of dig and in.
Source : Tennis Coach in April 2006 "You've got to dig in. This is the decisive match for our team."
Last modified: 30 November 2008