trench

1 of 2

noun

ˈtrench 

1

a

: a long cut in the ground : ditch

especially : one used for military defense often with the excavated dirt thrown up in front

b

trenches plural : a place, position, or level at which an activity is carried on in a manner likened to trench warfare

—often used in the phrase in the trenches

activists working in the trenches

2

: a long, narrow, and usually steep-sided depression in the ocean floor compare trough

3

: trench coat

trench

2 of 2

verb

trenched; trenching; trenches

transitive verb

1

: to make a cut in : carve

2

a

: to protect with or as if with a trench

b

: to cut a trench in : ditch

intransitive verb

1

a

: entrench, encroach

trenching on other domains which were more vital

—Sir Winston Churchill

b

: to come close : verge

2

: to dig a trench

Synonyms

Noun

• dike
• ditch
• fosse
• foss
• gutter
• sheugh [chiefly Scottish]
• trough

Verb

• border (on)
• touch (on)
• verge (on)

Examples of trench in a Sentence

Noun

dug a trench and filled it with water in an attempt to keep the forest fire off her property

Verb

that response trenches on outright rudeness

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Some are straightforward trenches with the bottoms chopped off; some update the silhouette with asymmetrical closures; some add hoods or capes to up the visual intrigue. —Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 28 Feb. 2025

Now, trenches and anti-tank ditches line roads where convoys of armored vehicles pass. —Olha Konovalova, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025

Verb

Rocky or sandy soils in rural areas can complicate trenching, while harsh winters can delay timelines in colder regions. —Katherine Latham, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025

The project will require trenching under the pathway and Dish’s agreement with the city is to restore any disturbed areas from the routing to existing conditions or better. —Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English trenche track cut through a wood, from Anglo-French, act of cutting, ditch, from trencher, trenchier to cut, probably from Vulgar Latin *trinicare to cut in three, from Latin trini three each — more at trine

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing trench

• slit trench
• trench coat
• trench fever
• trench foot
• trench mouth
• trench warfare

Rhymes for trench

• clench
• drench
• quench
• stench
• tench
• wench
• wrench
• entrench
• retrench
• workbench

Kids Definition

trench

noun

ˈtrench

1

a

: a long narrow cut in the ground : ditch

b

: a ditch protected by a bank of earth used to shelter soldiers

2

: a long narrow steep-sided depression in the ocean floor