What does seining mean?
Seining is the practice of catching fish with a seine, a large net designed to be drawn through the water. One end of the net is held fast while the other is pulled, gathering fish inside before the catch is hauled aboard. The term can refer either to the fishing method as a whole or more specifically to the work of drawing in the net. Seining is associated especially with coastal fisheries, although it is also used for inland waters such as rivers and lakes. Compared with the broader word fishing, seining identifies a particular technique and equipment rather than every method of catching fish. It is most likely to appear in reports about commercial fisheries, historical accounts of traditional fishing, and descriptions of work aboard fishing vessels. The expression also conveys the physical action of sweeping and tightening a large net through the water.
verbTo catch fish with a seine, a large net drawn through the water, or to haul such a net from the sea.
- To catch fish using a seine net.
- To draw or haul a seine net through the water.
"The fishermen spent the morning seining the shallow bay before the tide turned."
"The crew was seining the river for salmon."
"They began seining the nets as the tide began to fall."
"The photograph shows fishermen seining off the coast in a small boat."
A seine works like a drawstring bag: fishermen sweep it through the water, gather both ends, and pull the catch aboard.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does seining come from?
The form is derived from seine, both the large fishing net and the verb for using or hauling it. Seine comes through Old English segn, meaning “net,” from a Germanic root represented by related forms in other Germanic languages. The activity of drawing a net through the water developed directly from that established sense of the noun.
Related word forms
How seining is actually used
This is chiefly a fishing term and is normally used with nets, fish, or crews. It can describe both the act of catching fish with the net and the act of hauling the net.