truss

1 of 2

verb

ˈtrəs 

trussed; trussing; trusses

transitive verb

1

a

: to secure tightly : bind

b

: to arrange for cooking by binding close the wings or legs of (a fowl)

2

: to support, strengthen, or stiffen by or as if by a truss

trusser noun

truss

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: an assemblage of members (such as beams) forming a rigid framework

b

: bracket sense 1

2

: a device worn to reduce a hernia by pressure

3

: an iron band around a lower mast with an attachment by which a yard is secured to the mast

4

: a compact flower or fruit cluster

Synonyms

Verb

• band
• bind
• tie

Examples of truss in a Sentence

Verb

She stuffed and trussed the duck.

after stuffing the turkey, the chef quickly trussed it so the forcemeat wouldn't fall out during roasting

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Careful observers of American administrative governance point to a different reality: the United States’ bureaucracies are chronically underfunded, understaffed, often micromanaged by the White House, and regularly trussed up by Congress and the courts. —Jon D. Michaels, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024

How ought one truss the chicken half of a half-chicken, half-snake basilisk? —Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Noun

The highway’s southbound lanes were closed for four-and-a-half hours while crews worked to remove the truss, which contained a message board for the KC Scout traffic management system, said Delany Tholen, a spokesperson for KDOT’s Kansas City metro area. —Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2024

Crews will cut holes into various sections of the truss and place thin pieces of metal inside those holes — with small explosive charges attached — according to the one-minute animation. —Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 8 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English to pack, load, bind, from Anglo-French trusser, trousser, from Vulgar Latin *torsare, from *torsus twisted — more at torsade

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing truss

• truss bridge

Kids Definition

truss

1 of 2 verb

ˈtrəs 

1

a

: to tie up tightly : bind

b

: to tie the wings or legs of for cooking

truss a turkey

2

: to support, strengthen, or stiffen by a truss

truss

2 of 2 noun

1

: a rigid framework of beams, bars, or rods

a truss for a roof

2

: a device worn to hold a hernia in place

Medical Definition

truss

noun

ˈtrəs 

: a device worn to reduce a hernia by pressure