Dragnet

Quick meaning: Dragnet is a noun meaning (fishing) A net dragged across the bottom of a body of water.

Meaning

(fishing) A net dragged across the bottom of a body of water.

More Meanings

1. (law enforcement, figuratively) A heightened effort by law enforcement personnel undertaken in order to capture suspects.
2. (fishing, transitive) To drag a net across the bottom of a body of water.
3. (law enforcement, figuratively, transitive) To undertake a heightened effort to catch a suspect.

Example Sentences

When ponds are cleaned out periodically, fish are trapped or dragnetted and finally the pond is drained to remove all fish.

A May Day anti-capitalist protest last year in Seattle saw clashes between police and protesters, and the FBI had been dragnetting potential anarchists.

In fact, Carty was not the man, but, after a police swoop had dragnetted twenty men suspected of having taken part in the business, he was lodged in Sligo jail and accused of this violence to the lady.

Anchovy dragnets are an important part Korea's fishing sector. Over 99% of catches found in anchovy dragnets are anchovy. Although the annual total catches of anchovy have fluctuated, dragnets catch 55 to 70% of the total annual catch of anchovy. The remaining portion is caught with drift gill nets (10%) and other fishing methods.

Word Forms

• dragnets
• drag-net
• drag net
• dragnetting
• dragnetted

Synonyms for dragnet

Depending on context, synonyms include trawl.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include trawl, drag-net, drag, drawnet, driftnet, dragger.

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