trench Hear it!

trench Definition

trench (trenc̸h)

transitive verb

  1. to cut, cut into, cut off, etc.; slice, gash, etc.
    1. to cut a deep furrow or furrows in
    2. to dig a ditch or ditches in
  3. 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

  1. to dig a ditch or ditches, as for fortification
  2. to infringe (on or upon another's land, rights, time, etc.)
  3. to verge or border (on); come close

noun

  1. a deep furrow in the ground, ocean floor, etc.
  2. 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.

ditch, rut, hollow, gully, depression, gutter, tube, furrow, drainage canal, creek, moat, dike (British), drain, channel, main, gorge, gulch, arroyo. see also defense 2.

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.