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noun

ditch

dihch
noun
1
A long narrow trench dug in the ground, often for drainage.
"The car skidded off the road and into a ditch."
verb
1
To abandon or get rid of something or someone.
"They ditched the original plan and started over."
"He ditched his old phone for a newer model."
2
To skip school or a class without permission.
"A few students ditched class to go to the beach."

How to Use Ditch

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA dug trench, or (informally) to dump or abandon something.

Common pairings
ditch the plan ditch class drainage ditch

Word Forms

ditched past tense, ditches plural, ditches singular

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Can you complete this real example?

The car skidded off the road and into a _____.

Etymology

From Old English dīċ, "trench" or "moat" — the same Germanic root that gave us dike (its doublet, referring to the raised bank rather than the trench).

Related Words

Rhymes for ditch

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial