noun

trawl

Trawl (noun) means a large net dragged behind a boat to catch fish. Example: “The crew hauled in the trawl full of cod.”

noun

A large net dragged behind a boat to catch fish.

"The crew hauled in the trawl full of cod."

verb

To fish by dragging a net through the water.

"The boats trawl for shrimp off the coast."

To search thoroughly through a large amount of material.

"She trawled through years of old emails looking for the contract."

How to use trawl

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo trawl is to drag a net for fish, or, more loosely, to search slowly and thoroughly through a lot of stuff.

Common pairings

trawl the internet trawl through records a fishing trawl

Word forms

trawled past tense, trawls plural, trawls singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “trawl” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The crew hauled in the _____ full of cod.

Etymology

From Dutch tragelen, "to pull with a towline" — related to "drag" and "dray."

Origin: Dutch

Synonyms

View more →

spiller dragnet setline trotline trawl net trawl line

Related words

dragnet spiller trotline

Rhymes for trawl

bawl crawl shawl brawl sprawl

See all rhymes for trawl →

Frequently asked questions

What does “trawl” mean?

The word “trawl” means a large net dragged behind a boat to catch fish. In plain terms, to trawl is to drag a net for fish, or, more loosely, to search slowly and thoroughly through a lot of stuff.

How do you pronounce “trawl”?

“Trawl” is pronounced trawl (/tɹɔːl/ in IPA).

How do you use “trawl” in a sentence?

Here is “trawl” used in a sentence: “The crew hauled in the trawl full of cod.”

What part of speech is “trawl”?

Depending on how it is used, “trawl” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “trawl” come from?

The word “trawl” comes from Dutch. From Dutch tragelen, "to pull with a towline" — related to "drag" and "dray.".

How many meanings does “trawl” have?

“Trawl” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a large net dragged behind a boat to catch fish.

Featured in

Vocabulary lists that include trawl:

Words with Dutch origins

People also searched

dragnet spiller trotline