ditch

1 of 2

noun

: a long narrow excavation dug in the earth (as for drainage)

ditch

2 of 2

verb

ditched; ditching; ditches

transitive verb

1
a
: to surround with a long narrow cavity in the earth : to enclose with a ditch (see ditch entry 1)
The pasture was hedged and ditched.
b
: to dig a ditch in
2
aviation : to make a forced landing of (an airplane) on water
successfully ditched the plane
3
a
: to get rid of : discard
ditch an old car
had to ditch their plan
b
: to end association with : leave
ditched school
His girlfriend ditched him.

intransitive verb

1
: to dig a ditch
2
aviation : to crash-land at sea

Examples of ditch in a Sentence

Noun He drove the car into the ditch. after skidding on the ice, our car went right into the ditch Verb The thief ditched the purse in an alley. They ditched the car in a vacant lot. They ditched me at the concert.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
During the interview with police, the couple admitted to disposing of the child’s body in a ditch in Mequon before arriving in Chicago. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024 According to police accounts: The case began in 1959, when a child’s bones were found in a ditch off Davis Road in Mequon, Wisconsin, north of Milwaukee and about a five-hour’s drive from Houghton in the Upper Peninsula. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 13 Nov. 2024
Verb
Our hero also ditches the red dye in his hair, a small but helpful cosmetic change as the new baddie of the bunk beds has purple hair. Tony Maglio, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2024 The prevailing belief is that Earhart, 39, and Noonan, 44, ran out of fuel and ditched their twin-engine Lockheed Electra in the Pacific near Howland Island while on one of the final legs of their epic journey. CBS News, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ditch 

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English dich, from Old English dīc dike, ditch; akin to Middle High German tīch pond, dike

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ditch was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near ditch

Cite this Entry

“Ditch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ditch. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

ditch

1 of 2 noun
: a long narrow channel or trench dug in the earth

ditch

2 of 2 verb
1
: to dig a ditch in or around
2
a
: to get rid of : discard
ditch an old car
b
: to end association with : leave
his girlfriend ditched him
3
: to make a forced landing of (an airplane) on water

More from Merriam-Webster on ditch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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