Meaning & use

dredge

verb·Everyday

To clear out the bed of a river, harbor, or lake by scooping out mud, sand, or debris.

See it in a sentence

Workers dredged the harbor so that larger cargo ships could dock safely.

She dredged the chicken pieces in seasoned flour before frying them until golden.

A note on using this word

Dredge also means to coat food lightly in flour, sugar, or crumbs before cooking; the culinary sense is common in recipes.

Words with a similar meaning

excavatescoop out

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

To coat food lightly in a dry ingredient such as flour or sugar before cooking.

Dredge the fish fillets in cornmeal before you place them in the hot oil.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “dredge”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.