What does trawled mean?
Trawled is the past tense and past participle of trawl, a verb with both a specific maritime meaning and a widely used figurative one. Literally, to trawl is to draw a cone-shaped net through the water to catch fish or other sea creatures; “trawled” therefore describes a boat, net, or area that has been searched in this way. Figuratively, it means to search or comb through a large amount of information, often laboriously. Writers use “trawled” for thorough searches of files, websites, reports, or archives, sometimes with a mildly critical implication that the search was indiscriminate or excessive. The word retains a sense of dragging something through a large expanse, whether that expanse is seawater or a mass of data. It can also appear as a participial adjective: “a trawled net” refers to a net pulled through the water, while figurative uses emphasize the results of an exhaustive search.
To pull a fishing net through the water, typically in order to catch fish; figuratively, to search or comb through a large amount of information.
"The research team spent weeks trawling the archive for references to the treaty."
The past tense and past participle of trawl. Figurative uses often emphasize the length or thoroughness of the search.
Caught or drawn with a trawl; figuratively, subjected to an exhaustive search.
"A trawled net hung from the stern of the boat."
Usually attributive and less common than the verb form.
From dragging nets through the sea to searching an entire archive for one useful document, trawled captures the determined pursuit of a catch.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does trawled come from?
Trawled is the past tense and participle of trawl. The verb appeared in Middle English in the early fourteenth century with the sense of dragging, borrowing from a Dutch word meaning to drag. Its maritime sense developed from this general meaning, as a trawl net was dragged through the water in search of a catch.
Related word forms
How trawled is actually used
The literal sense belongs chiefly to fishing and maritime usage. The figurative sense is common in both formal and informal writing and often suggests an exhaustive, potentially indiscriminate search.