trawl Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a long fishing line with many shorter lines and hooks attached to it (usually suspended between buoys)
    setline; spiller; trawl line; trotline.
  2. noun a conical fishnet dragged through the water at great depths
    dragnet; trawl net.
  3. verb fish with trawlers

WordNet

Trawl intransitive verb
Etymology
OF. trauler, troller, F. trôter, to drag about, to stroll about; probably of Teutonic origin. Cf. Troll, v. t.
Definitions
  1. To take fish, or other marine animals, with a trawl.
Trawl noun
Definitions
  1. A fishing line, often extending a mile or more, having many short lines bearing hooks attached to it. It is used for catching cod, halibut, etc.; a boulter. U. S. & Canada
  2. A large bag net attached to a beam with iron frames at its ends, and dragged at the bottom of the sea, -- used in fishing, and in gathering forms of marine life from the sea bottom.

Webster 1913