source: By GerardM at nl.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

a narrow channel dug in the ground, typically used for drainage alongside a road or the edge of a field.

水路, 排水溝, 堀, どぶ; (天然の)水路

verb with object

1. provide with ditches:

…に溝, 水路を掘る, 巡らす; …を溝, 堀で囲む

e.g. he was praised for ditching the coastal areas.

no object make or repair ditches:

溝を掘る

e.g. (as noun ditching) : they would have to pay for hedging and ditching.

2. informal get rid of or give up:

｟くだけて｠ (不用なので)〈物〉を取り除く, 捨てる; 〈考え･計画〉をやめる; 〈学校など〉をやめる.

e.g. plans for the road were ditched following a public inquiry

e.g. it crossed her mind to ditch her shoes and run.

end a relationship with (someone) peremptorily; abandon:

｟くだけて｠ 〈恋人･配偶者･家族など〉を見捨てる, …との関係を絶つ; ｟米俗｠ (黙って)〈人〉を置き去りにする, …から逃れる

e.g. she ditched her husband to marry the window cleaner.

North American be truant from (school or another obligation):

｟米･くだけた話｠ 〈学校･授業〉をサボる(｟英｠ skip)

e.g. maybe she could ditch school and run away.

3. bring (an aircraft) down on water in an emergency:

｟くだけて｠ 〈飛行機など〉を水上に不時着させる

e.g. he was picked up by a frigate after ditching his plane in the Mediterranean.

no object (of an aircraft) make a forced landing on water:

｟くだけて｠ 〈飛行機などが〉水上に不時着する

e.g. the aircraft was obliged to ditch in the sea off the North African coast.

US derail (a train).

｟米｠ 〈列車〉を脱線させる

ditcher |ˈdiCHər| noun

Old English dīc, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch dijk ‘ditch, dyke’ and German Teich ‘pond, pool’, also to dyke2.