Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to cast the net

to cast the net

2 3.2
Throw a fishing net into the water to catch fish
  • phrasal verb
  • /kæst ðə nɛt/
translation icon : echar la red
  • As the sun began to set, the crew prepared to cast the net into the calm waters for the night's catch.
  • cast a wide net

Examples

  • Fishermen languidly cast nets over a huge bay.

    Blog text (7)

  • Above, a Laotian fisherman casts his net in the Mekong River in the capital Luang Prabang on May 4, 2012.

    Blog text (26)

  • We cast our nets in the shallows.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • They cast their net and brought in a dripping lot of the little scuttlers.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • The fishermen went out early in the morning to cast the net and catch fish for breakfast.

  • On the local fishing trip, we learned how to cast the net effectively to catch shrimp and fish.

Synonyms

to fish
vsto cast the net
119 1.0

To catch fish for sport or food

focuses on throwing a mesh tool into water rather than any method
to net
vsto cast the net
3 3.6

To catch something by using a mesh

means throwing a mesh into water specifically to catch sea animals
to net fish
vsto cast the net
2.8

To catch fish with a net

is done by throwing a mesh tool into water to catch sea animals

Surface Forms

cast the net infinitive
cast the net past
cast the net past participle
casting the net present participle
casts the net third person singular

Morphology

cast + the + net

The verb 'cast' (to throw) combined with the noun 'net' (a mesh used for catching) yields the literal action described, so a learner who knows both words can infer the meaning. This is a straightforward verb + object composition found across languages and in everyday contexts, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Cast the net comes from fishing. Fishermen would cast a large net in a wide circle across the water to catch many fish, so the phrase means 'to try to catch fish'.