English Meaning & Definitions
To fish by dragging a large, wide-mouthed fishing net (a trawl) behind a boat.
- “The commercial fleet continues to trawl the deep waters for cod.”
- “Local fishermen were banned from trawling in the protected bay to preserve the coral reefs.”
To search thoroughly through a large amount of information, data, or records.
- “The investigators had to trawl through thousands of emails to find the incriminating evidence.”
- “She spent the afternoon trawling the internet for vintage clothing deals.”
An act of fishing with a trawl net, or the net itself.
- “The boat returned to the harbor after a successful trawl.”
- “The seabed was severely damaged by the heavy trawl.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “trawl”.
Originates from the Middle English 'trollen' (to ramble or stroll), which likely evolved from the Old French 'troller' (to wander or hunt). It is related to the word 'troll' in the sense of fishing with a moving line, eventually specializing in the 14th century to refer to the act of dragging a large net behind a boat.
Think of a 'trawl' net as a 'tall' wall of mesh dragging through the ocean floor to catch everything in its path.
Frequently Asked Questions About “trawl”
1. What is the meaning of “trawl” in English?
In English, trawl (verb) is defined as: “To fish by dragging a large, wide-mouthed fishing net (a trawl) behind a boat.”.
2. How do you use “trawl” in a sentence?
“The commercial fleet continues to trawl the deep waters for cod.”
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “trawl”?
Originates from the Middle English 'trollen' (to ramble or stroll), which likely evolved from the Old French 'troller' (to wander or hunt). It is related to the word 'troll' in the sense of fishing with a moving line, eventually specializing in the 14th century to refer to the act of dragging a large net behind a boat.
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