trawl

American  

[trawl] / trɔl /

noun

1. Also called trawl net.  a strong fishing net for dragging along the sea bottom.

2. Also called trawl line.  a buoyed line used in sea fishing, having numerous short lines with baited hooks attached at intervals.

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verb (used without object)

1. to fish with a net that drags along the sea bottom to catch the fish living there.

2. to fish with a trawl line.

3. to troll.

verb (used with object)

1. to catch with a trawl net or a trawl line.

2. to drag (a trawl net).

3. to troll.

trawl British  

/ trɔːl /

noun

1. Also called: trawl net.  a large net, usually in the shape of a sock or bag, drawn at deep levels behind special boats (trawlers)

2. Also called: trawl line.  a long line to which numerous shorter hooked lines are attached, suspended between buoys See also setline trotline

3. the act of trawling

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verb

1. sea fishing to catch or try to catch (fish) with a trawl net or trawl line

2. sea fishing (tr) to drag (a trawl net) or suspend (a trawl line)

3. to seek or gather (something, such as information, or someone, such as a likely appointee) from a wide variety of sources

noun

1. angling another word for troll 1

Other Word Forms

• trawlability noun
• trawlable adjective

Etymology

Origin of trawl

1475–85; < Middle Dutch tragel (noun), tragelen (v.); cognate with trail

Example Sentences

Like many Lebou, Tall's father is a diver, plunging for fish which have drastically disappeared from Senegal's coast due to industrial trawling.

From Barron's

It’s all he ever wanted to do, since he was around 12 years old and accompanied his father, a mailman and part-time shrimper, as he spent weekends trawling the marshy waters off Louisiana.

From Los Angeles Times

Dani says there can also be a benefit for players who do enjoy the old-fashioned method of trawling stats and spreadsheets to optimise their teams.

From BBC

"You can ask ChatGPT: 'Show me the best Black Friday deals for a 10-year-old who loves the movie Wicked.' You don't need to trawl through different sites, which can be time-consuming and overwhelming."

From BBC

"When you trawl Chinese diaspora sites in Cambodia, where the wisdom of relocating to Palau is sometimes debated, the criminals themselves are drawn by the lack of PRC diplomatic presence there," said ANU's Graeme Smith.

From BBC