trench


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Related to trench: Mariana Trench

trench

 (trĕnch)
n.
1. A deep furrow or ditch.
2. A long narrow ditch embanked with its own soil and used for concealment and protection in warfare.
3. A long, steep-sided valley on the ocean floor.
v. trenched, trench·ing, trench·es
v.tr.
1. To dig or make a trench or trenches in (land or an area, for example).
2. To place in a trench: trench a pipeline.
v.intr.
1. To dig a trench or trenches.
2. To encroach. Often used with on or upon: "The bishop exceeded his powers, and trenched on those of the king" (Francis Parkman).
3. To verge or border. Often used with on or upon: "a broad playfulness that trenched on buffoonery" (George Meredith).

[Middle English trenche, from Old French, a cutting, slice, from trenchier, to cut, from Vulgar Latin *trincāre, perhaps partly from Latin *trīncāre, to cut in three (from earlier *trīnicāre : Latin rīnī, three each, triple; see trei- in Indo-European roots + Latin -icāre, as in duplicāre, to double, split in two; see duplicate) and partly from a Gaulish root *trink-, to cut, behead, found in Late Latin trincus trincus, a kind of gladiator who was subject to particular Gaulish customs and probably fought until beheaded (of Gaulish origin, perhaps ultimately from a pre-Roman substrate root *trenk-, to cut, or perhaps akin to Latin truncus, trunk; see terə in Indo-European roots).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

trench

(trɛntʃ)
n
1. a deep ditch or furrow
2. (Fortifications) a ditch dug as a fortification, having a parapet of the excavated earth
vb
3. to make a trench in (a place)
4. (Fortifications) (tr) to fortify with a trench or trenches
5. to slash or be slashed
6. (intr; foll by on or upon) to encroach or verge
[C14: from Old French trenche something cut, from trenchier to cut, from Latin truncāre to cut off]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

trench

(trɛntʃ)

n.
1. a long, narrow excavation in the ground dug by soldiers as a defense against enemy fire or attack.
2. a deep furrow, ditch, or cut.
3. a long, narrow depression in the deep-sea floor, site of ocean deeps.
v.t.
4. to surround or fortify with trenches; entrench.
5. to cut a trench in.
6. to set or place in a trench.
7. to form (a furrow, ditch, etc.) by cutting into or through something.
8. to make a cut in.
v.i.
9. to dig a trench.
[1350–1400; Middle English trenche path made by cutting < Old French: act of cutting, a cut, derivative of trenchier to cut < Vulgar Latin *trincāre, for Latin truncāre to lop]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

trench


Past participle: trenched
Gerund: trenching

Imperative
trench
trench
Present
I trench
you trench
he/she/it trenches
we trench
you trench
they trench
Preterite
I trenched
you trenched
he/she/it trenched
we trenched
you trenched
they trenched
Present Continuous
I am trenching
you are trenching
he/she/it is trenching
we are trenching
you are trenching
they are trenching
Present Perfect
I have trenched
you have trenched
he/she/it has trenched
we have trenched
you have trenched
they have trenched
Past Continuous
I was trenching
you were trenching
he/she/it was trenching
we were trenching
you were trenching
they were trenching
Past Perfect
I had trenched
you had trenched
he/she/it had trenched
we had trenched
you had trenched
they had trenched
Future
I will trench
you will trench
he/she/it will trench
we will trench
you will trench
they will trench
Future Perfect
I will have trenched
you will have trenched
he/she/it will have trenched
we will have trenched
you will have trenched
they will have trenched
Future Continuous
I will be trenching
you will be trenching
he/she/it will be trenching
we will be trenching
you will be trenching
they will be trenching
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been trenching
you have been trenching
he/she/it has been trenching
we have been trenching
you have been trenching
they have been trenching
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been trenching
you will have been trenching
he/she/it will have been trenching
we will have been trenching
you will have been trenching
they will have been trenching
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been trenching
you had been trenching
he/she/it had been trenching
we had been trenching
you had been trenching
they had been trenching
Conditional
I would trench
you would trench
he/she/it would trench
we would trench
you would trench
they would trench
Past Conditional
I would have trenched
you would have trenched
he/she/it would have trenched
we would have trenched
you would have trenched
they would have trenched
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.trench - a ditch dug as a fortification having a parapet of the excavated earthtrench - a ditch dug as a fortification having a parapet of the excavated earth
approach trench, communication trench - a trench that provides protected passage between the rear and front lines of a defensive position
ditch - a long narrow excavation in the earth
entrenchment, intrenchment - an entrenched fortification; a position protected by trenches
fire trench - a trench especially constructed for the delivery of small-arms fire
fosse, moat - ditch dug as a fortification and usually filled with water
slit trench - narrow trench for shelter in battle
2.trench - a long steep-sided depression in the ocean floortrench - a long steep-sided depression in the ocean floor
natural depression, depression - a sunken or depressed geological formation
3.trench - any long ditch cut in the groundtrench - any long ditch cut in the ground  
ditch - a long narrow excavation in the earth
furrow - a long shallow trench in the ground (especially one made by a plow)
Verb1.trench - impinge or infringe upon; "This impinges on my rights as an individual"; "This matter entrenches on other domains"
take advantage, trespass - make excessive use of; "You are taking advantage of my good will!"; "She is trespassing upon my privacy"
2.trench - fortify by surrounding with trenchestrench - fortify by surrounding with trenches; "He trenched his military camp"
fort, fortify - enclose by or as if by a fortification
3.trench - cut or carve deeply intotrench - cut or carve deeply into; "letters trenched into the stone"
cut - separate with or as if with an instrument; "Cut the rope"
4.trench - set, plant, or bury in a trench; "trench the fallen soldiers"; "trench the vegetables"
lay, place, put, set, position, pose - put into a certain place or abstract location; "Put your things here"; "Set the tray down"; "Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children"; "Place emphasis on a certain point"
5.trench - cut a trench in, as for drainagetrench - cut a trench in, as for drainage; "ditch the land to drain it"; "trench the fields"
hollow, excavate, dig - remove the inner part or the core of; "the mining company wants to excavate the hillside"
6.trench - dig a trench or trenchestrench - dig a trench or trenches; "The National Guardsmen were sent out to trench"
dig, dig out - create by digging; "dig a hole"; "dig out a channel"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

trench

noun ditch, cut, channel, drain, pit, waterway, gutter, trough, furrow, excavation, earthwork, fosse, entrenchment Dig a trench at least 2ft deep.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
příkopzákop
grøftrendeskyttegrav
kaivanto
rov
lövészárok
skotgröf
深くて細長い溝
참호
apkasastranšėja
ierakumitranšeja
zákop
jarek
dike
คู
rãnh

trench

[trentʃ]
A. N (gen) → zanja f (Mil) → trinchera f
B. VT (gen) → hacer zanjas en (Mil) → hacer trincheras en, atrincherar (Agr) → excavar
C. CPD trench coat Ntrinchera f
trench warfare Nguerra f de trincheras
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

trench

[ˈtrɛntʃ] n
(for pipes, water drainage)tranchée f
(MILITARY)tranchée f
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

trench

nGraben m; (Mil) → Schützengraben m; in the trenches (Mil) → im Schützengraben
vtGräben plziehen in (+dat); (Mil) → Schützengräben plausheben in (+dat)

trench

:
trench mortar
n (Mil) → Granatwerfer m
trench warfare
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

trench

[trɛntʃ] n (gen) → fosso (Mil) → trincea
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

trench

(trentʃ) noun
a long narrow ditch dug in the ground, especially as a protection for soldiers against gunfire. The soldiers returned to the trenches.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

trench

خَنْدَق příkop grøft Graben τάφρος zanja kaivanto tranchée rov trincea 深くて細長い溝 참호 geul grøft rów trincheira ров dike คู siper rãnh 壕沟
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

trench

n. trinchera, zanja, foso;
___ backrigidez y dolor de espalda;
___ feverfiebre de ___, fiebre remitente transmitida por piojos;
___ footpie de ___, infección en los pies por exposición al frío;
___ -mouthinfección con ulceración de las mucosas de la boca y la faringe.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
References in classic literature ?
"I was observing at the time and I couldn't make out what the fuss was about; but they seemed to be having a devil of a time in a section of trench on their left.
You can fill that trench with your own men and enfilade the trenches to its right with their own machine guns."
A trench was dug three and a half feet wide, four feet eight inches deep, and eight feet long.
D'Artagnan set out with his four companions, and followed the trench; the two Guards marched abreast with him, and the two soldiers followed behind.
They arrived thus, screened by the lining of the trench, till they came within a hundred paces of the bastion.
Instead of digging round the Nautilus which would have involved greater difficulty, Captain Nemo had an immense trench made at eight yards from the port-quarter.
I know the beach well, and can certify that it is as smooth as a grass-plot in a garden; the interior of the grotto, on the contrary, is rough; without reckoning, monseigneur, that at its extremity we shall come to the trench which leads into the sea, and perhaps the canoe will not pass down it."
"Here Perimedes and Eurylochus held the victims, while I drew my sword and dug the trench a cubit each way.
Close outside we will dig a deep trench all round it to keep off both horse and foot, that the Trojan chieftains may not bear hard upon us."
In the distance he could see the movements of a body of troops through the trees, soldiers on the way to relieve their comrades in the trenches. As the morning broke, the trenches themselves came into view--long, zig-zag lines, silent, and with no sign of the men who crawled about inside like ants.
This palisade was a protection against both man and beasts, and within it dwelt upward of two thousand persons, the shelters being built very close together, and sometimes partially underground, like deep trenches, with the poles and hides above merely as protection from the sun and rain.
The youth's regiment was marched to relieve a command that had lain long in some damp trenches. The men took positions behind a curv- ing line of rifle pits that had been turned up, like a large furrow, along the line of woods.