ditch
ditch Lexical Profile
ditch Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To abandon, discard, or leave behind someone or something (often abruptly).
"They decided to ditch the broken television rather than pay for expensive repairs."
To bring an aircraft down on water in an emergency landing.
"The pilot successfully managed to ditch the plane in the river without any casualties."
To dig or create a narrow channel in the ground for drainage or defense.
"The farmers had to ditch the entire perimeter of the field to prevent flooding during the wet season."
• noun
A narrow channel dug in the ground, typically used for drainage alongside a road or the edge of a field.
"After the heavy rain, the ditch beside the highway quickly filled with muddy water."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a verb, 'ditch' is highly informal when meaning to abandon or discard something, but serves as technical aviation terminology when referring to an emergency water landing.
• Rhymes for ditch
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'dīc' meaning trench or moat. It shares the same Germanic root as the word 'dike', but underwent palatalization in Middle English to become 'dich'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.