eager beaver
[ ee-ger ]
/ ˈi gər /
noun
a person who is excessively diligent or overly zealous.
Origin of eager beaver
An Americanism dating back to 1940–45
Words nearby eager beaver
British Dictionary definitions for eager beaver
eager beaver
noun
informal
a person who displays conspicuous diligence, esp one who volunteers for extra work
Idioms and Phrases with eager beaver
eager beaver
An exceptionally zealous person, one who habitually takes on more tasks or works harder than others. For example, Bill is a real eager beaver, always volunteering to stay late. This expression became especially popular during World War II, applied to recruits anxious to impress their commanding officers by such behavior. [First half of 1900s]