[f. TRAWL v. + -ER1.]
1. One who trawls; one who fishes (a) orig. with a trawl or trawl-net; (b) in W. of Scotl., etc., as in TRAWL v. 2; (c) in U.S. with a trawl-line.
1599. [implied in trawler boat: see 3].
1630. [see TRAWL sb. 2, v. 1].
1652. Order Council of State, May, 31–June 10, in First Du. War (Navy Rec. Soc.), I. 258. The Council did not intend … that fishermen, trawlers and others … should be stayed.
1864. Glasgow Daily Herald, 24 Sept. If trawling recommences all will become trawlers. Ibid. The trawlers have damaged my nets, and stolen some of them, too.
2. A vessel employed in fishing with a trawl-net; now applied to a STEAM-TRAWLER.
1847. Webster, Trawler, a fishing vessel which trails or drags a net behind it. (Eng.)
1848. Life in Normandy (1863), II. xiii. 254. When I was in a trawler we always studied the run of the tide … and ran as clear before it as we could.
1881. Times, 21 Dec., 4/4. An action of salvage for services rendered by the owners, masters, and crews of the steam trawler Restless Wave, and the smacks Urgent and Harry Sinclair, to the iron ship Culzean, of 1,572 tons.
1887. E. J. Mather, Nor’ard of Dogger, ix. (1889), 114. The modern plan of fitting the trawlers with steam-capstans had not come … into vogue.
3. attrib. and Comb., as trawler-boat, -fleet; † trawler-man: see quots.
1599. Admir. Crt. Exam., 34, Jan. 31. There came … Thomas Segar with his *trawler boat.
1909. Daily Chron., 28 Dec., 1/4. The Picton Castle, a steam trawler belonging to the Castle *trawler fleet … has been capsized in the River Douro.
1633. Stow’s Surv. London, 19. Fishermen … stiled by the name of T[r]inckermen,… Hebbermen, Petermen, *Trawlermen, &c., that have lived (in precedent times) by very unlawfull fishing on this River.
1701. Cowell’s Interpr., Trawlermen.
1839–40. [see HEBBERMAN].
