dragnet

Meaning

Noun

1. A net dragged across the bottom of a body of water.
2. Heightened efforts by law enforcement personnel undetaken in order to capture suspects.

Verb

1. To drag a net across the bottom of a body of water.
2. To undertake heightened efforts to catch a suspect.

Synonyms

trawl

seine

trawl net

raid

cordon

round-up

fishing net

swoop

drag-net

belt

drag net

dredge

enclosure

fishnet

net

rope

🪢

string bag

twine

Etymology

Cognate with Swedish: dragnät

Cognate with Norwegian: dragnett

Cognate with Icelandic: dragnet

In summary

From drag + net, probably based on the model of Middle English draynet, dreynett (“dragnet”), Old English dræġnet, dræġnett (“dragnet”), equivalent to dray + net. Cognate with Swedish dragnät, Norwegian dragnett, from Icelandic dragnet.