Ditch
WordNet
noun
(1) A long narrow excavation in the earth
(2) Any small natural waterway
verb
(3) Cut a trench in, as for drainage
"Ditch the land to drain it"
"Trench the fields"
(4) Crash or crash-land
"Ditch a car"
"Ditch a plane"
(5) Make an emergency landing on water
(6) Sever all ties with, usually unceremoniously or irresponsibly
"The company dumped him after many years of service"
"She dumped her boyfriend when she fell in love with a rich man"
(7) Throw away
"Chuck these old notes"
(8) Forsake
"Ditch a lover"
WiktionaryText
Etymology
Old English dīċ. Akin to Middle High German (German ) and probably also to Greek .
Noun
- A trench; a long, shallow indentation, as for irrigation or drainage.
- Digging ditches has long been considered one of the most demanding forms of manual labor.
Verb
- To discard or abandon.
- Once the sun came out we ditched our rain-gear and started a campfire.
- To deliberately crash-land an airplane on the sea.
- When the second engine failed, the pilot was forced to ditch; their last location was just south of the Azores.
- To deliberately not attend classes; to play hookey.
- The truant officer caught Louise ditching with her friends, and her parents were forced to pay a fine.
- To dig ditches.
- Enclosure led to fuller winter employment in hedging and ditching.
- To dig ditches around.
- The soldiers ditched the tent to prevent flooding.