noun
dredge
drehj
noun
1
A machine or device used to scoop up material from the bottom of a body of water.
"The harbour authority sent out a dredge to clear the silted channel."
verb
1
To clear or deepen a waterway by scooping out mud, sand, or debris.
"They dredged the river to allow larger ships through."
2
To bring up something unpleasant from the past, often followed by "up."
"He dredged up an old argument from years ago."
"Don't dredge up painful memories."
How to Use Dredge
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo scoop material from a riverbed or seabed, or figuratively, to dig up an old, unwanted memory.
Common pairings
dredge a river
dredge up the past
dredge up memories
Word Forms
dredged past tense, dredged past tense, dredges plural, dredges plural, Dredges plural, dredges singular, dredges singular
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The harbour authority sent out a _____ to clear the silted channel.
Etymology
Possibly from Scots dreg-boat ("dredging boat"), or from a Middle Dutch word for a drag-net, ultimately linked to "drag."