dredge 1
/drej/ , n. , v. , dredged, dredging .
n.
1. Also called dredging machine . any of various powerful machines for dredging up or removing earth, as from the bottom of a river, by means of a scoop, a series of buckets, a suction pipe, or the like.
2. a barge on which such a machine is mounted.
3. a dragnet or other contrivance for gathering material or objects from the bottom of a river, bay, etc.
v.t.
4. to clear out with a dredge; remove sand, silt, mud, etc., from the bottom of.
5. to take, catch, or gather with a dredge; obtain or remove by a dredge.
v.i.
6. to use a dredge.
7. dredge up ,
a. to unearth or bring to notice: We dredged up some old toys from the bottom of the trunk.
b. to locate and reveal by painstaking investigation or search: Biographers excel at dredging up little known facts.
[ 1425-75; late ME (Scots) dreg-, OE * drecg ( e ); see DRAY, DRAW ]
dredge 2
/drej/ , v.t., dredged, dredging . Cookery.
to sprinkle or coat with some powdered substance, esp. flour.
[ 1590-1600; v. use of dredge (now obs. or dial.) mixture of grains, late ME dragge, dregge, appar. to be identified with ME drag ( g ) e, dragie (disyllabic) sweetmeat, confection drag ( g ) é, dragee, OF (see DRAGÉE); cf. similar dual sense of ML dragetum, dragium ]