dredge
v.v. to pull up mud or sand from the bottom of a river or lake. You can also use it in cooking to cover food with a light layer of flour or sugar.
v. to clear or deepen a body of water by removing silt and debris from the bottom; alternatively, to coat food with a dry ingredient like flour. Transitive — requires a direct object.
The workers dredge the river to make it deeper for ships.
Engineers had to dredge the harbor entrance to allow larger cargo ships to dock safely during low tide.
Before frying the fish, you should dredge each fillet in seasoned flour to ensure a crisp, golden-brown exterior that seals in the natural moisture.
From Scots dreg-boat, dreg-bot (from Old English *dreċġ); or alternatively from Middle Dutch dregghe (“drag-net”), probably ultimately from the same root as drag.
From Middle English dragge, from Old French dragee, dragie, from Latin tragēmata, from Ancient Greek τραγήματα (tragḗmata, “spices”), plural of τράγημα (trágēma, “dried fruit”).
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.