trawl

1 of 2

verb

ˈtrȯl 

trawled; trawling; trawls

intransitive verb

1

a

: to fish with a trawl

b

: to make a search as if by trawling

2

: troll sense 1a

transitive verb

: to catch (fish) with a trawl

trawl

2 of 2

noun

1

: a large conical net dragged along the sea bottom in gathering fish or other marine life

2

: setline

Examples of trawl in a Sentence

Verb

The boat trawled far out at sea.

a fishing boat trawling the ocean floor

He trawled the Internet looking for websites on growing grapes.

She was trawling through old letters for information about her family.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Ambrose has to go trawling in increasingly dangerous waters to make ends meet and put food on the table but, when his livelihood becomes too precarious, he is forced to look for work further afield and out of his comfort zone. —Malcolm Forbes, Boston Herald, 15 May 2025

Fishermen reported accidentally catching the stingray while trawling on July 1. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2025

Noun

The research team collected records of the fish in Western Australia, ranging from fish caught in the trawls of fishing vessels to those found in scampi pots, according to the study. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 14 May 2025

Some types of fishing gear, such as trawls and dredges that drag along the sea floor to scoop up sea life, can destroy ocean habitat itself. —David Shiffman, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably from obsolete Dutch tragelen

First Known Use

Verb

1561, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1759, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for trawl

• ahl
• all
• aul
• bawl
• brawl
• call
• caul
• crawl
• dol
• doll
• drawl
• fall

Kids Definition

trawl

1 of 2 verb

ˈtrȯl 

: to fish or catch with a trawl

trawl

2 of 2 noun

1

: a large cone-shaped net dragged along the sea bottom in fishing

2

: setline