gill net

[gil]

noun

1. a curtainlike net, suspended vertically in the water, with meshes of such a size as to catch by the gills a fish that has thrust its head through.

gill net

/ ɡɪl /

noun

1. fishing a net suspended vertically in the water to trap fish by their gills in its meshes

Word History and Origins

Origin of gill net¹

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800