A shovel is a tool used for digging, lifting, and moving bulk materials, such as soil, coal, gravel, snow, sand, or ore. It is designed to dig as well as to move loose, granular materials like dirt, gravel, grain, or snow from one spot to another. Shovels come in different shapes and sizes and are made of a variety of materials depending on their use. The most important features in the selection of a shovel include weight, handle type, length, and blade size and shape. Shovels can be optimized for a single task or designed as cross-over or compromise multitaskers. Some common types of shovels include:

• Round point shovel: This type of shovel has a strong blade with a point that helps it cut into the soil. It is useful for digging tasks.
• Square point shovel: This shovel is useful for lifting and moving materials. The square point can also be used to smooth soil during landscaping projects.
• Trenching or irrigation shovel: This shovel has a square, narrow blade that is good for making a deep hole without disturbing plants nearby. It can be used for transplanting or removing individual plants or for digging irrigation trenches.
• Scoop shovel: With wide, concave blades and flat tips, this family of shovels are made for lifting and moving materials. A snow shovel is an example. Other scoop shovels are made for shoveling grain or landscape materials like mulch.
• Trowel: This is a small shovel for use with one hand. The small blade with a pointed tip makes the trowel useful for transplanting seedlings and small plants.

In general, shovels are ideal for digging holes for planting trees, shrubs, or flowers and digging trenches for irrigation or drainage. They can also be used for moving loose materials like soil, gravel, sand, or snow from one spot to another.