trencher

1 of 3

noun (1)

tren·​cher ˈtren-chər 

: a wooden platter for serving food

trencher

2 of 3

adjective

1

: of or relating to a trencher or to meals

2

archaic : having the nature of a parasite : sycophantic

trencher

3 of 3

noun (2)

trench·​er ˈtren-chər 

: one that digs trenches

specifically : a usually self-propelled excavating machine typically employing a bucket conveyor and used to dig trenches especially for pipelines and cables

Examples of trencher in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

May 10, a police officer took a walk-in report for theft of a utility trailer and trencher. —Pioneer Press Staff, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2022

That means the standard medieval English diet of grains, vegetables like cabbage, and meats like beef and mutton probably didn’t change much—either in its content or in the portion sizes in the average trencher. —Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 6 July 2020

Partygoers would rarely eat the trencher; once supper was finished, those that were still in one piece were given to the destitute, or thrown to the dogs. —Amy Azzarito, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English trenchour knife, serving platter, from Anglo-French, from trencher to cut

Noun (2)

trench entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1851, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

trencher

noun

tren·​cher

ˈtren-chər

: a wooden platter for serving food