trencher
oxford
views updated May 21 2018trench·er1 / ˈtrenchər/ •
n. 1. hist. a wooden plate or platter for food. ∎ a thick slice of bread used as a plate or platter.2.
old-fashioned term for mortarboard (sense 1).trench·er2 •
n. a machine or attachment used in digging trenches.
The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English
trencher
oxford
views updated May 14 2018trencher †cutting instrument; board on which food was served XIV (hence
t.
-man feeder, eater XVI); (also
t.
-cap) academic cap thought to resemble a square platter XVIII. — AN.
trenchour, OF.
trencheoir, f.
trenchier cut; see
TRENCH,
-ER2,
-OR1 The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD
trencher
oxford
views updated May 21 2018trencher Medieval English; thick slices of (normally stale) bread, partly hollowed out and used as a plate, commonly given to the poor after the meal. Later replaced by a wooden trencher.
A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition DAVID A. BENDER
