Dragnet (Noun)
Meaning 1
A conical fishnet dragged through the water at great depths.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- The deep-sea dragnet collected several species of bioluminescent fish never seen before by scientists.
- A commercial fishing vessel deployed a massive dragnet across a large area of the ocean floor to maximize its catch.
- Researchers used a remotely operated vehicle to control the dragnet and explore the deepest parts of the trench.
- The captain carefully maneuvered the boat to avoid bycatch as the crew retrieved the heavy dragnet filled with the day's haul.
- A state-of-the-art sonar system guided the deployment of the dragnet, allowing fishermen to target specific schools of fish.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
A system of coordinated measures for apprehending (criminals or other individuals); "caught in the police dragnet".
Classification
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects.
Examples
- The city-wide crackdown on organized crime has cast a dragnet over several neighborhoods, with police conducting raids and checkpoints to catch fleeing suspects.
- The rebels fell into the government's dragnet and were quickly captured and brought to justice.
- In an attempt to reduce corruption, the government has set up a dragnet of surveillance and monitoring systems to catch officials in the act.
- After the terrorists went into hiding, the international authorities threw up a massive dragnet, working with local law enforcement to track down the suspects.
- The large-scale investigation has been designed as a dragnet to catch anyone involved in the money laundering operation.