Spadework (noun)

1. Hard physical labor, especially digging or trenching.
2. Tedious, preparatory work.

Origin:

The word "spadework" comes from the word "spade" which refers to a digging tool and "work" which refers to the act of performing a task, together it refers to the hard work done using a spade.

Examples:

1. He was tired after a day of spadework in the garden.
2. The construction workers were doing spadework to prepare the ground for the new building.
3. The archaeologist had to do a lot of spadework to uncover the ancient ruins.
4. The spadework was hard and tedious, but it had to be done.
5. Spadework is an essential part of gardening and landscaping.