earthscraper

• (construction equipment): earth-scraper, earth scraper

• (architecture): Blend of earth +‎ skyscraper Coined in analogy to skyscraper, that scrapes into the earth (ground) instead of into the sky.
• (construction equipment): earth +‎ scraper

• IPA^(key): /ɜːθˈskɹeɪpə/
• Hyphenation: earth‧scra‧per
• Hyphenation: earth‧scrape‧er

earthscraper (plural earthscrapers)

1. (science fiction, architecture, informal, rare) A building that is built underground; subterranean skyscraper.

   Coordinate terms: skyscraper, groundscraper

   • 2008, Alan Burt Akers, Gangs of Antares: Dray Prescot 45:

     By Vox! We went down all right. Spacious rooms were here piled one upon another connected by wide staircases. This subterranean temple was rather like an inverted skyscraper, an earthscraper, perhaps.

   • 2014, Leopoldo Marechal, Adam Buenosayres: A Novel:

     So then I dreamed up a subterranean skyscraper (or,if you will, an earthscraper) with various floors, each of them constituting a different infernal abode;

   • 2015, Joshua Viola, Blackstar:

     The earthscraper burst from the tunnel into daylight, sparks trailing. Elara turned hard against the wheel, corrected its trajectory and spun one hundred and eighty degrees into a brigade of sentinels their weapons drawn.

2. (construction, mining) Synonym of bellyscraper (a piece of heavy equipment)

   Coordinate terms: earth grader, bulldozer