gill net

American  

[gil] / gɪl /

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 British  

/ ɡɪl /

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of gill net

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Their wiggling catch arrives alive, not smushed as in a purse seine, or ripped and bleeding from a gill net.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 15, 2024

The critically endangered vaquita has been imperiled by illegal gill net fishing for the fish totoaba, itself an endangered species whose bladder is highly valued in Asia.

From Reuters • Oct. 3, 2023

Mexico has come under increasing international pressure to enforce gill net fishing bans throughout protected vaquita habitat.

From New York Times • Jun. 7, 2023

The drift gill net fishery for swordfish began off the coast of Southern California in the late 1970s and quickly grew into one of the major commercial fleets in the state.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2021

When he spotted my father, Derek hauled in the gill net and made a run for it.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen