/ dredʒ; NAmE / verb
1.
dredge (sth) (for sth) to remove mud, stones, etc. from the bottom of a river, canal , etc. using a boat or special machine, to make it deeper or to search for sth :
[ vn ]
They're dredging the harbour so that larger ships can use it.
They dredge the bay for gravel.
[also v ]
2.
dredge sth (up) (from sth) to bring sth up from the bottom of a river, etc. using a boat or special machine :
[ vn ]
waste dredged (up) from the seabed
3.
[ vn ] dredge (in / with) to cover food lightly with sugar, flour, etc. :
Dredge the top of the cake with icing sugar.
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PHRASAL VERBS
- dredge sth up
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WORD ORIGIN
senses 1 to 2 late 15th cent. (as a noun; originally in dredge-boat ): perhaps related to Middle Dutch dregghe grappling hook.
sense 3 late 16th cent.: from obsolete dredge sweetmeat, mixture of spices , from Old French dragie , perhaps via Latin from Greek tragēmata spices. Compare with dragée .