dredge
UK[dredʒ]US[dredʒ]
v
To remove mud, sand, or other unwanted material from the bottom of a river, harbour, etc., using a special machine or tool.
v
To bring something up or to the surface from the bottom of a river, sea, etc., especially something that has been hidden or forgotten for a long time.
v
To sprinkle a powdered substance, especially flour or sugar, lightly over food.
Etymology
The origin of 'dredge' is obscure, with its first recorded use in the late 15th century, possibly related to the Scottish term 'dreg-boat'. Its core meaning of scooping or clearing a water channel is primary. The culinary sense, 'to sprinkle with flour or sugar', recorded from the late 16th century, is believed to be a separate word, derived from the Old French 'dragie' (sweetmeat, sugar-plum), which itself traces back to the Greek 'tragēmata' (desserts, sweetmeats). Over time, the two distinct etymological strands converged into the single spelling 'dredge', creating a polysemous word with logically separate meanings connected by the shared concept of scattering or spreading a substance.
Analysis
The word 'dredge' is a simplex word of uncertain, possibly Scottish origin. It is not productively formed from identifiable, separable morphemes in modern English.
Examples
The government plans to dredge the canal to allow larger ships to pass.
The old documentary dredged up painful memories of the war.
Dredge the cake with icing sugar before serving.