ditch

[dich]

noun

1. a long, narrow excavation made in the ground by digging, as for draining or irrigating land; trench.

2. any open passage or trench, as a natural channel or waterway.

verb (used with object)

1. to dig a ditch or ditches in or around.

2. to derail (a train) or drive or force (an automobile, bus, etc.) into a ditch.

3. to crash-land on water and abandon (an airplane).

4. Slang.

   1. to get rid of.

      I ditched that old hat of yours.

   2. to escape from.

      He ditched the cops by driving down an alley.

   3. to absent oneself from (school or a class) without permission or an acceptable reason.

verb (used without object)

1. to dig a ditch.

2. (of an aircraft or its crew) to crash-land in water and abandon the sinking aircraft.

3. Slang.,  to be truant; play hooky.

ditch

¹

/ dɪtʃ /

noun

1. a narrow channel dug in the earth, usually used for drainage, irrigation, or as a boundary marker

2. any small, natural waterway

3. a bank made of earth excavated from and placed alongside a drain or stream

4. informal,  either of the gutters at the side of a tenpin bowling lane

5. a last resort or place of last defence

verb

1. to make a ditch or ditches in (a piece of ground)

2. (intr) to edge with a ditch

3. informal,  to crash or be crashed, esp deliberately, as to avoid more unpleasant circumstances

   he had to ditch the car

4. slang,  (tr) to abandon or discard

   to ditch a girlfriend

5. informal,  to land (an aircraft) on water in an emergency

6. slang,  (tr) to evade

   to ditch the police

Ditch

²

/ dɪtʃ /

noun

1. an informal name for the Tasman Sea

Other Word Forms

• ditchless adjective
• ditcher noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ditch¹

before 900; 1940–45 ditch for def. 5, 1885–90 ditch for def. 6, 1955–60 ditch for def. 9; Middle English dich, Old English dīc; cognate with German Teich. See dike ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of ditch¹

Old English dīc; related to Old Saxon dīk, Old Norse dīki, Middle High German tīch dyke, pond, Latin fīgere to stick, see _dyke ¹

Idioms and Phrases

see last-ditch effort.

Example Sentences

Viewers who ditched pricey cable bundles in favor of cheaper streaming services have found their total monthly subscriptions are adding up.

From Los Angeles Times

However, he said he would be "absolutely willing" to work with the SNP again, despite the party having ditched several policies championed by Greens ministers since John Swinney became first minister.

From BBC

The bus was heading eastbound and lost control, veering into the median and then into a ditch, according police.

From BBC

Eventually, they stopped the truck at a 10 Freeway underpass near Alameda and Newton streets and ditched the big rig.

From Los Angeles Times

Whether the whistles were with merit, no call was going to bail the Sparks out of a 10-point ditch with 22 seconds left to play.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abandon 
• discard 
• dispose of 
• dump 
• forsake 
• jettison 
• junk 
• scrap