Definition

1. Verb (transitive):

   • To remove material from the bottom of a body of water: To use a machine or tool to scoop, gather, or clear mud, sand, or objects from the bed of a river, harbor, or canal.
   • To search for or recover something: To examine or clear the bottom of a body of water carefully to find or retrieve valuable or lost items.
   • To coat with a powdered substance: To lightly cover food by sprinkling or dragging it through a dry substance like flour or sugar before cooking.

2. Noun:

   • A tool or machine for excavation: A device, often a barge equipped with a power shovel or suction pipe, used for digging and removing material from underwater.

Usage Examples

• Verb (To remove material):
  • The city plans to dredge the harbor to allow larger ships to enter.
  • They had to dredge the canal to prevent flooding.
• Verb (To search):
  • Divers dredged the lake for the missing evidence.
  • Archaeologists dredged the riverbed for ancient artifacts.
• Verb (To coat food):
  • Dredge the fish in seasoned flour before pan-frying.
  • The recipe says to dredge the chicken pieces in breadcrumbs.
• Noun:
  • A large dredge was used for the mining operation.
  • The maintenance of the channel requires a powerful dredge.

Advanced Usage

• "to dredge up" (phrasal verb):
  • To bring something unwelcome or forgotten to light: To remind people of something from the past, often something unpleasant or embarrassing.
  • Example: The journalist dredged up old scandals during the interview.
  • Example: I don't want to dredge up painful memories.

Variants and Related Words

• Dredger (noun): A person or a boat that operates a dredge.
  • The dredger worked through the night to clear the silt.
• Dredging (noun/gerund): The activity or process of using a dredge.
  • The dredging of the port was completed ahead of schedule.

Synonyms

• Verb (Remove/Search): Excavate, scoop, clear, dig, rake, scour.
• Verb (Coat): Sprinkle, dust, powder, coat.
• Noun: Excavator, digger, power shovel.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Dredge up: As defined in 'Advanced Usage'.

Related Idioms

• None commonly associated directly with the core meanings of "dredge." The phrasal verb "dredge up" is the primary idiomatic extension.

Noun

1. a power shovel to remove material from a channel or riverbed

Verb

1. remove with a power shovel, usually from a bottom of a body of water
2. search (as the bottom of a body of water) for something valuable or lost
3. cover before cooking
   • dredge the chicken in flour before frying it