dredge
dredge — noun
1. a large boat or machine that clears mud, sand, and other material from the floor
a large boat or machine that clears mud, sand, and other material from the floor of rivers, canals, or harbours so that the water stays deep enough for ships to use.
The port authority ordered a dredge to clear the main shipping channel.
dredge used for maintaining shipping channels
A huge dredge worked through the night deepening the river mouth near the city.
Without the dredge, the harbour would soon become too shallow for cargo ships to anchor.
The old dredge sat near the bridge with its suction pipe lowered into the water.
Crew members on the dredge hauled up tonnes of sand and broken shells every hour.
- dredger
used interchangeably in British English, though 'dredge' is more common for the machine itself and 'dredger' for the boat or the person operating it
用法筆記
A dredge is specifically designed for underwater excavation — it is not any general-purpose digging machine. The word usually refers to a floating vessel or a barge-mounted machine.
常見錯誤
dredge — verb
- dredgepresent simple I / you / we / they
- dredgeshe / she / it
- dredgedpast simple
- dredging-ing form
1. to take mud, sand, and other unwanted material out of rivers, harbours, or lakes
to take mud, sand, and other unwanted material out of rivers, harbours, or lakes using special boats or equipment, usually to deepen the water or keep a clear passage for ships.
The city council voted to dredge the harbour so that large ships could dock safely.
dredge + harbour for navigation safety
Workers dredge the canal every spring to stop it from flooding nearby farms.
An environmental team dredged the polluted lake to remove toxic mud from the bottom.
After the storm, the crew dredged the river where fallen trees had blocked the flow.
The government announced plans to dredge nearly twenty kilometres of the main shipping lane.
- silt up
natural process by which sediment accumulates and fills a waterway, the opposite of dredging it clear
文法句型
dredge + noun phrase (water body)
用法筆記
Frequently used with a body of water (harbour, canal, river, lake) as the direct object. The removed material itself can also be the object, e.g. 'dredge mud from the riverbed.'
常見錯誤
2. to search a stretch of water by scooping up material from its floor with a dredg
to search a stretch of water by scooping up material from its floor with a dredge, hoping to recover something lost or valuable — for example, a wrecked boat, ancient objects, or evidence of a crime.
Police divers dredged the lake for clues after a car was found near the pier.
dredge + for + noun phrase (what is being searched for)
Archaeologists dredged the ancient riverbed and recovered pieces of pottery from a lost settlement.
For months, treasure hunters dredged the bay hoping to find gold from the old wreck.
Local fishers sometimes dredge the channel to retrieve nets that have snagged on the bottom.
The team dredged the seabed and found the remains of an old iron anchor.
文法句型
dredge + noun phrase (for something)
dredge for + noun phrase
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense C1 (CLEAR WATER BOTTOM): sense C1 focuses on removing material to improve navigation or cleanliness; sense C2 focuses on searching the bottom for something. The phrase 'dredge up' is often used figuratively for bringing old memories or information back, but that usage is informal.
常見錯誤
3. to lightly cover the surface of food with a dry powder such as flour, sugar, or
to lightly cover the surface of food with a dry powder such as flour, sugar, or breadcrumbs, usually before cooking or as a final decorative step.
Dredge the chicken pieces in seasoned flour before putting them into the hot oil.
cooking instruction: dredge + in + flour
The recipe says to dredge the fish fillets lightly with cornmeal and then fry them.
Naoko dredged the warm doughnuts in cinnamon sugar and arranged them on a plate.
For a crispy crust, dredge the sliced aubergine in breadcrumbs and bake until golden.
Before frying the prawns, dredge them lightly in rice flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
文法句型
dredge + noun phrase + in/with + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense belongs to the cooking domain and has a different historical origin from the water-related senses. Only the objects of dredging are foods; it never refers to non-food items. 'Dredge' is more specific than 'sprinkle' because it implies coating the entire surface, not just scattering powder on top.