hopper dredge

noun

1. a self-propelled dredge having compartments in which the dredged material can be carried and dumped through hoppers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hopper dredge¹

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

A single hopper dredge is mopping up rough spots on the river bottom identified by sonar scans of the work area.

From Seattle Times

A company hopper dredge capable of taking on 4,000 cubic yards at a time will work sections of the channel deepening, then move to a point offshore of Broadkill to pump sand onto the beach before returning to the channel.

From Washington Times

Different methods are used throughout the country, but in Rehoboth, a huge ship called a hopper dredge brings sand from an area called a borrow site in the ocean several miles away.

From Washington Post