trawl

American  

[trawl] / trɔl /

noun

1. Also called trawl net.  a strong fishing net for dragging along the sea bottom.

2. Also called trawl line.  a buoyed line used in sea fishing, having numerous short lines with baited hooks attached at intervals.

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verb (used without object)

1. to fish with a net that drags along the sea bottom to catch the fish living there.

2. to fish with a trawl line.

3. to troll.

verb (used with object)

1. to catch with a trawl net or a trawl line.

2. to drag (a trawl net).

3. to troll.

trawl British  

/ trɔːl /

noun

1. Also called: trawl net.  a large net, usually in the shape of a sock or bag, drawn at deep levels behind special boats (trawlers)

2. Also called: trawl line.  a long line to which numerous shorter hooked lines are attached, suspended between buoys See also setline trotline

3. the act of trawling

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verb

1. sea fishing to catch or try to catch (fish) with a trawl net or trawl line

2. sea fishing (tr) to drag (a trawl net) or suspend (a trawl line)

3. to seek or gather (something, such as information, or someone, such as a likely appointee) from a wide variety of sources

noun

1. angling another word for troll 1

Other Word Forms

• trawlability noun
• trawlable adjective

Etymology

Origin of trawl

1475–85; < Middle Dutch tragel (noun), tragelen (v.); cognate with trail

Explanation

The large net used on a fishing boat is called a trawl, and to fish using this kind of net is to trawl. If you live in a coastal town, you might be able to watch the boats trawl at sunrise. When someone trawls, they don't use a fishing pole. This kind of fishing involves a boat that's rigged with a trawl moving through the water and pulling it behind—trawling, in other words. It can be controversial to trawl, since the net can disturb the ocean floor and inadvertently catch endangered and non-edible fish. Trawl comes from the Middle Dutch traghelen, "to drag," and its Latin root tragula, "dragnet."

Example Sentences

Authorities can then trawl through phones and inboxes for correspondence or anything else.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Researchers have previously used AI to trawl through thousands of known chemicals in an attempt to identify ones with potential to become new antibiotics.

From BBC • Aug. 14, 2025

“It seems remarkable that the Thai government permitted its fishing fleet to commence trawl fishing,” the organization said in its final report.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2025

The committee cast a wide net, using a programming tool to trawl more than 32,000 project descriptions for 699 keywords and phrases that they identified as linked to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

From Salon • Feb. 27, 2025

Mom took off work early so we could trawl through vintage-clothing stores.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman