Contents

English

Wikipedia has an article on: Trench

Etymology

Old French trenchier (“‘cut, make a cut’”).

Noun

Singular trench

Plural trenches

trench (plural trenches)

  1. A long, narrow ditch or hole dug in the ground, especially in warfare.
  2. (archaeology) A pit, usually rectangular with smooth walls and floor, excavated during an archaeological investigation.
  3. (informal) A trench coat.
    • 1999, April 24, Xiphias Gladius <ian@schultz.io.com>, "Re: trenchcoat mafia", ne.general.selected, Usenet:
      I was the first person in my high school to wear a trench and fedora constantly, and Ben was one of the first to wear a black trench.
    • 2007, Nina Garcia, The Little Black Book of Style, HarperCollins, as excerpted in Elle, October, page 138:
      A classic trench can work in any kind of weather and goes well with almost anything.

Derived terms

Terms derived from trench (noun)

Verb

Infinitive to trench

Third person singular trenches

Simple past trenched

Past participle trenched

Present participle trenching

to trench (third-person singular simple present trenches, present participle trenching, simple past and past participle trenched)

  1. (usually followed by upon) To invade, especially with regard to the rights or the exclusive authority of another.
    • 1640, Ben Jonson, Underwoods, page 68:
      Shee is the Judge, Thou Executioner, Or if thou needs would'st trench upon her power, Thou mightst have yet enjoy'd thy crueltie, With some more thrift, and more varietie.
    • 1949, Charles Austin Beard, American Government and Politics, page 16:
      He could make what laws he pleased, as long as those laws did not trench upon property rights.
    • 2005, Carl von Clausewitz, J. J. Graham, On War, page 261:
      [O]ur ideas, therefore, must trench upon the province of tactics.
  2. (military, infantry) To excavate an elongated pit for protection of soldiers and or equipment, usually perpendicular to the line of sight toward the enemy.
  3. (archaeology) To excavate an elongated and often narrow pit.

French

Etymology

From English

Noun

trench m. (plural trenchs)

  1. trench coat

Italian

Etymology

From English trench (coat).

Noun

trench m. inv.

  1. trench coat

 

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2009 NFL Predictions: Jacksonville Jaguars AFC South Betting Odds - Point-Spreads.com - Free Sports Picks
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2009 NFL Predictions: Jacksonville Jaguars AFC South Betting Odds

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A productive defensive front can ease the growing pains of the young secondary core, but coming off a 29-sack season, the trench crew shows no hint of being ...

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