dredge

verb (1)

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\ ˈdrej

\

dredged; dredging

Definition of dredge

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : 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 updredge 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 updredging up memories

intransitive verb

1 : to use a dredge dredging for oysters

2 : to search deeply

dredge

noun

Definition of dredge (Entry 2 of 3)

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

verb (2)

dredged; dredging

Definition of dredge (Entry 3 of 3)

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 More Example Sentences Learn More about dredge

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Examples of dredge in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Docking at Violet would avoid the height restriction imposed by the Crescent City Connection, and benefit from the current Army Corps of Engineers program to dredge the river to a depth of 50 feet. — Richard Campanella, NOLA.com, "acquisition of 1,100 acres," 1 Jan. 2021 The Florida Department of Environmental Protection ordered the city to dredge all three waterways after record-breaking sewage spills between Dec. 10 and Feb. 14. — Susannah Bryan, sun-sentinel.com, "Fort Lauderdale to pay millions to dredge waterways soiled by sewage," 21 Oct. 2020 In a large metal bowl, dredge your cauliflower in batter, then fry it in a portable vat of hot oil. — Colin Stokes, The New Yorker, "Twelve Surprising Ways to Use Cauliflower," 11 Dec. 2020 So far, the conservancy has raised about $4.5 million for the plan, which is to dredge the pond in order to deepen 25% of it to 8 feet. — Madeline Buckley, chicagotribune.com, "Lincoln Park’s North Pond is drying up and in ‘dire need’ of restoration," 29 Nov. 2020 Pull the chicken breasts out of the buttermilk one by one, letting excess drip off, and dredge completely in flour. — Tara Duggan, SFChronicle.com, "5 recipes to bring comfort, from Hainanese chicken rice to stewed short ribs with adobo," 30 Oct. 2020 Fort Lauderdale is already under a state order to dredge and clean three waterways affected by sewage spills that began nearly a year ago. — Susannah Bryan, sun-sentinel.com, "How dirty are Fort Lauderdale’s waterways? We’re about to find out," 24 Oct. 2020 Plans are underway to dredge sections of the Tarpon River, George English Lake and the Himmarshee Canal. — Susannah Bryan, sun-sentinel.com, "How dirty are Fort Lauderdale’s waterways? We’re about to find out," 24 Oct. 2020 This analysis will hardly come as a surprise and most of us wouldn’t have to delve too deeply in the reservoirs of our memories to dredge up an incident that reinforces it. — Vicky Spratt, refinery29.com, "Can’t Poop At Someone Else’s Place? You Might Be Suffering From Parcopresis," 30 Oct. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The agents also placed their vessel and dredge under a seizure order. — Halle Parker | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, "Agents using drone nab two Port Sulphur men harvesting oysters in polluted waters," 30 Dec. 2020 McMann made his living in the traditional way of the island, with his crab scrape and oyster dredge. — Washington Post, "On a Trump-loving island in the Chesapeake, a virus outbreak unites instead of divides," 22 Dec. 2020 The issue involves permitting dredge and fill activities under part of the federal Clean Water Act. — Jim Saunders, orlandosentinel.com, "EPA hands over wetlands permitting to Florida; Critic calls it Trump’s ‘parting gift’ to developers," 17 Dec. 2020 Remove the slab of marshmallow from the pan and dredge in the sugar-starch mixture. — ExpressNews.com, "Recipe: Chef B’s Marshmallows," 2 Dec. 2020 To create a thick crust, place in buttermilk and dredge in flour a second time. — Tara Duggan, SFChronicle.com, "5 recipes to bring comfort, from Hainanese chicken rice to stewed short ribs with adobo," 30 Oct. 2020 The developer has said that under the Trump administration’s new rule, the federal permit for dredge-and-fill construction work on 51 acres of the property would no longer be required. — AZCentral.com, "Rivers, clean air, imperiled species: How Trump's environmental rollbacks affect Arizona," 29 Oct. 2020 By Friday afternoon, wave action and wind had moved the dredge close enough to shore that the fire department was trying to move heavy equipment into place to drag it to shore. — Zaz Hollander, Anchorage Daily News, "Search underway in Nome for 2 men missing on overturned gold mining dredge," 16 Oct. 2020 In the film, Dillon describes the pain of having to retell her story again and again — and Cohn took pains to not make her dredge up bad memories too often. — Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake Tribune, "In ‘Belly of the Beast,’ Utah filmmaker examines modern ‘eugenics’ in women’s prisons," 13 Oct. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dredge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.