1. A long narrow excavation in the earth
   "The farmer dug a ditch to improve drainage in the field"
    
2. Any small natural waterway
   "The heavy rain filled the roadside ditches"; "Frogs croaked in the shallow ditch behind the house"

1. [informal] Throw away
   "ditch these old notes";
   - chuck
    
2. End a romantic relationship with someone, esp. suddenly
   "ditch a lover"; "I ditched him after a month"
    
3. [informal] Sever all ties with, usually unceremoniously or irresponsibly
   "The company ditched him after many years of service";
   - dump [informal], chuck [Brit, informal]
    
4. [informal] Crash or crash-land
   "ditch a car"; "ditch a plane"
    
5. (air travel) make an emergency landing on water
   "The pilot had to ditch the plane in the ocean"
    
6. Cut a trench in, as for drainage
   "ditch the land to drain it";
   - trench

Derived forms: ditches, ditching, ditched

Type of: abandon, crash, crash-land, desert, desolate, dig, excavate, excavation, forsake [literary], get rid of, hollow, remove, waterway

Encyclopedia: Ditch,