Definition of the word dredge up

The phrase "dredge up" originally referred to the process of digging deeper into the bottom of a body of water to retrieve sunken objects using a dredge, a piece of heavy machinery with a scoop-like bucket. This verb, in its earliest use, was primarily associated with nautical or mining contexts. It wasn't until the late 18th century that the phrase gained a more figurative meaning. In this sense, "dredge up" came to describe the action of recollecting or recalling something that had been buried or forgotten, as if pulling it out of the depths of the mind or emotions. The use of this phrasal verb to describe introspection or reminiscence became increasingly common in literature and speech during the Romantic period, and it continues to be a part of our everyday vocabulary today.