dredge

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to remove mud, sand, or other material from the bottom of a body of water with a dredge

   Workers will dredge the harbour to keep the shipping channel deep enough.

2. 2
   noun

   a machine or vessel used to scoop or suction material from underwater

   A dredge cleared silt from the mouth of the river.

3. 3
   verb

   to search the bottom of water, or to bring something forgotten or unpleasant back into attention

   Divers dredged the lake for the missing equipment, while reporters continued to dredge up the old dispute.

4. 4
   verb

   to coat food lightly with flour, sugar, or another dry ingredient

   Dredge the fish in seasoned flour before frying it.

The underwater verb and noun probably developed from Middle English dragge and are related to drag. The cooking verb has a separate history, from Middle English and Old French forms connected with dragee ("a sweet or spice"), ultimately from Greek tragemata ("sweetmeats").

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