dredge

1 of 3

verb (1)

ˈdrej How to pronounce dredge (audio)
dredged; dredging
Synonyms of dredgenext

transitive verb

1
a
: to dig, gather, or pull out with or as if with a dredge (see dredge entry 2)
dredging oysters in the bay
—often used with up
dredge up silt from the canal bottom
b
civil engineering : to deepen (a waterway) with a machine that removes earth usually by buckets on an endless chain or a suction tube : to deepen with a dredge (see dredge entry 2 sense 2)
2
: to bring to light by deep searching
—often used with up
dredging up memories

intransitive verb

1
: to use a dredge
dredging for oysters
2
: to search deeply

dredge

2 of 3

noun

1
: an apparatus usually in the form of an oblong iron frame with an attached bag net used especially for gathering fish and shellfish
2
civil engineering : a machine for removing earth usually by buckets on an endless chain or a suction tube
3
nautical : a barge used in dredging

dredge

3 of 3

verb (2)

dredged; dredging

transitive verb

: to coat by sprinkling (as with flour)
dredge the chicken in flour
The fish is dredged with a cornmeal mixture and fried.

Synonyms

Verb (1)

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of dredge in a Sentence

Verb (1) I've been dredging my memory bank, and I simply can't remember her name
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The river has been dredged about every other year since 2012 from a location in the main channel about 600 yards away from the refuge, Terrazas said. —Judith Prieve, The Mercury News, 5 May 2024 However, dredging sand from the ocean, harbors and lagoons to widen beaches is costly and time-consuming. —Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for dredge 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dredge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb (1)

perhaps from Old English *drecge; akin to Old English dræge dragnet, dragan to draw

Verb (2)

obsolete dredge, noun, sweetmeat, from Middle English drage, drege, from Anglo-French dragee, modification of Latin tragemata sweetmeats, from Greek tragēmata, plural of tragēma sweetmeat, from trōgein to gnaw

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1508, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1596, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dredge was in 1508

Phrases Containing dredge

Dictionary Entries Near dredge

dreddour

dredge

dredge corn

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Dredge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dredge. Accessed 12 May. 2024.

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Kids Definition

dredge

1 of 3 verb
ˈdrej How to pronounce dredge (audio)
dredged; dredging
1
a
: to dig, gather, or pull out with or as if with a dredge
dredged up scallops from the sea bottom
b
: to deepen (as a waterway) with a dredge
2
: to bring to light by deep searching
dredging up memories

dredge

2 of 3 noun
1
: an iron frame with an attached net used especially to catch fish or shellfish
2
: a machine for removing earth usually by buckets on a continuous chain or by a suction tube

dredge

3 of 3 verb
dredged; dredging
: to coat (food) by sprinkling (as with flour)
Etymology

Noun

probably from Old English dragan "to pull, drag"

Verb

from obsolete dredge (noun) "a candied fruit," derived from early French dragee (same meaning), from Latin tragemata (plural) "candied fruits," from Greek tragēmata (same meaning), derived from trōgein "to gnaw"

More from Merriam-Webster on dredge

Nglish: Translation of dredge for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of dredge for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dredge

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