Dredge
/drɛdʒ/noun
To clear a waterway or to deepen it by removing sediment.
Did you know?The term 'dredge' is linked to a Middle English word meaning 'to drag,' evoking imagery of pulling up the hidden and the lost from dark waters.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
draganą
“to pull or drag, often through muddy or dark places”
Old English
OE
dræggan
“to drag or pull along, often in reference to fishing nets or heavy loads”
Middle English
ME
dreggen
“to draw or drag, especially in reference to retrieving something from water”
14th Century
Middle English
dredgen
“to clear out or deepen a body of water by removing sediment or debris”
Modern English
English
dredge
“to remove sediment from the bottom of a body of water using a tool or apparatus”