Trawl

Definition

A large bag-shaped fishing net towed behind a boat to catch fish and other marine life, or the act of fishing using such a net; also used metaphorically to mean searching systematically through a large quantity of information or documents.

Example Usage

The fishing vessel trawled the North Sea for cod and other commercial fish species.

Origin

Possibly from Dutch 'traghel' or related to Middle English 'trallen' (to drag).

Fun Fact

Bottom trawling, while efficient for fishing, has become controversial due to its environmental impact on seafloor ecosystems.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

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