truss

[truhs]

verb (used with object)

1. to tie, bind, or fasten.

2. to make fast with skewers, thread, or the like, as the wings or legs of a fowl in preparation for cooking.

3. to furnish or support with a truss or trusses.

4. to tie or secure (the body) closely or tightly; bind (often followed byup ).

5. Falconry.,  (of a hawk, falcon, etc.) to grasp (prey) firmly.

noun

1. Civil Engineering, Building Trades.

   1. any of various structural frames based on the geometric rigidity of the triangle and composed of straight members subject only to longitudinal compression, tension, or both: functions as a beam or cantilever to support bridges, roofs, etc.

   2. any of various structural frames constructed on principles other than the geometric rigidity of the triangle or deriving stability from other factors, as the rigidity of joints, the abutment of masonry, or the stiffness of beams.

2. Medicine/Medical.,  an apparatus consisting of a pad usually supported by a belt for maintaining a hernia in a reduced state.

3. Horticulture.,  a compact terminal cluster or head of flowers growing upon one stalk.

4. Nautical.,  a device for supporting a standing yard, having a pivot permitting the yard to swing horizontally when braced.

5. a collection of things tied together or packed in a receptacle; bundle; pack.

6. Chiefly British.,  a bundle of hay or straw, especially one containing about 56 pounds (25.4 kilograms) of old hay, 60 pounds (27.2 kilograms) of new hay, or 36 pounds (16.3 kilograms) of straw.

truss

/ trʌs /

verb

1. (sometimes foll by up) to tie, bind, or bundle

   to truss up a prisoner

2. to fasten or bind the wings and legs of (a fowl) before cooking to keep them in place

3. to support or stiffen (a roof, bridge, etc) with structural members

4. informal,  to confine (the body or a part of it) in tight clothes

5. falconry (of falcons) to hold (the quarry) in the stoop without letting go

6. med to supply or support with a truss

noun

1. a structural framework of wood or metal, esp one arranged in triangles, used to support a roof, bridge, etc

2. med a device for holding a hernia in place, typically consisting of a pad held in position by a belt

3. horticulture a cluster of flowers or fruit growing at the end of a single stalk

4. nautical a metal fitting fixed to a yard at its centre for holding it to a mast while allowing movement

5. architect another name for corbel

6. a bundle or pack

7. a bundle of hay or straw, esp one having a fixed weight of 36, 56, or 60 pounds

Other Word Forms

• trusser noun
• undertruss verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of truss¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English verb trussen, from Old French tr(o)usser, variant of torser, probably from unattested Vulgar Latin torsāre, derivative of unattested torsus, for Latin tortus, past participle of torquere “to twist, wind, wrap”; Middle English noun trosse, trus, trusse “bundle,” from Old French trousse, torse, derivative of torser

Word History and Origins

Origin of truss¹

C13: from Old French trousse , from trousser , apparently from Vulgar Latin torciāre (unattested), from torca (unattested) a bundle, _torch

Example Sentences

I saw that the house had great bones, beams and trusses, but it was just in disrepair.

From Los Angeles Times

Agnoli, who worked as a carpenter prior to entering architecture, used long spans of wood to create massive trusses and spiraling nautilus shapesand formed brick into catenary arches.

From Los Angeles Times

The roof is long gone and huge timber roof trusses that once supported it have been stacked up in the street outside.

From BBC

Convicted of second-degree murder, Clement was sent to the state prison in Vacaville, where he and two other inmates trussed a suspected informant to his bed before Clement cut out part of his tongue.

From Los Angeles Times

In short, he looked like a man trussed up and carried before the camera to tell his family that his kidnappers were treating him well.

From Salon

Related Words

• beam