trench Definition
trench (trenc̸h)
transitive verb
- to cut, cut into, cut off, etc.; slice, gash, etc.
- to cut a deep furrow or furrows in
- to dig a ditch or ditches in
- to surround or fortify with trenches; entrench
Etymology: LME trenchen < OFr trenchier (Fr trancher), to cut, hack, prob. < L truncare, to cut off: see truncate
intransitive verb
- to dig a ditch or ditches, as for fortification
- to infringe (on or upon another's land, rights, time, etc.)
- to verge or border (on); come close
noun
- a deep furrow in the ground, ocean floor, etc.
- a long, narrow ditch dug by soldiers for cover and concealment, with the removed earth heaped up in front
Etymology: ME < OFr trenche (Fr tranche, a slice) < trencher
trench Synonyms
trench
n.
Military trenches include: dugout, earthwork, moat, sap, redoubt, breastwork, entrenchment, fortification, pillbox, excavation, revetment, bunker, strong point, machine-gun nest, communication trench, front-line trench, slit trench, approach trench, tank-trap, foxhole;
trench Usage Examples
Converse of object
- dig: The men used to dig trenches about nine inches side to about two feet deep.
- excavate: The main results came from a long trench excavated 25 meters east of Clark's original excavations.
- backfill: Cover the pipe with some washed stone, and then backfill the trench with soil.
Preposition: for
excrement: They slept in the mud, wet and cold, with inadequate slit trenches for excrement.
Adjective modifier
- vadose: Continuing straight on for 30 meters leads to an 8 meter deep vadose trench in the floor.
- shallow: At first our only shelters were a few shallow trenches dug in the garden, close to the building.
- muddy: A small extract: A Tommy is reading a paper in a muddy trench.
- German: The Division on our right had to occupy a German trench which was believed to have been vacated.
- oceanic: Earthquake zones [ 175 k ] But what was the significance of the connection between earthquakes and oceanic trenches and ridges?
Modifies a noun
- warfare: By now a static existence of trench warfare settled in.
- mortar: I found a shovel and rushed to where I knew there was a trench mortar position.
- digging: The trench digging is the first phase of a program to revitalize farmland destroyed by the tsunami.
- periscope: Trench periscope for observing enemy whilst concealed behind parapet or other fortification.
- coat: Contra walked along a dirt path, her hands shoved deep in the pockets of her trench coat.
Noun used with modifier
- slit: Low voltage wiring can be attached to a fence or buried under the lawn using a slit trench.
- robber: Behind the robber trench was a solid flint floor, which has all the appearance of a well-made road.
- front-line: The frontiers of the USSR are only the temporary front-line trenches of the class struggle.
- drainage: A gravel band on all sides could mask drainage trench beside the walls.
- palisade: These palisade trench alignments defined an entrance passage c. 3m wide.
- infiltration: Soakaways and infiltration trenches are completely below ground, and water should not appear on the surface.
Browse dictionary entries near trench
- ‹ trenail
- ‹ tremulous
- ‹ tremor
- ‹ Tremonti, Giulio
- ‹ tremolo
- ‹ tremolite
- ‹ tremendously
- ‹ tremendous
- ‹ tremble
- ‹ trematode
- trench coat ›
- trench fever ›
- trench foot ›
- trench knife ›
- trench mortar ›
- trench mouth ›
- trenchant ›
- trencher ›
- trencherman ›
- trend ›

