trawl

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a long fishing line with many shorter lines and hooks attached to it (usually suspended between buoys)
  2. noun a conical fishnet dragged through the water at great depths
  3. verb fish with trawlers

Etymology

16th century, borrowed from Dutch tragelen (“to pull with a towline, trawl”), from Middle Dutch traghelen, from traghel (“dragnet”) (presumably from Latin tragula (“dragnet”)), and as such root-cognate with English drag and dray.

In classic literature

Synonyms

trawl line, spiller, setline, trotline

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