trestle

IPA/ˈtresl/
KK[trˈɛsəl]IPA/ˈtresl/

trestle — noun

  • trestlesingular
  • trestlesplural

1. a legged support frame that goes under one side of a tabletop or long board to k

1.nounC1
Definition

a legged support frame that goes under one side of a tabletop or long board to keep the surface raised and steady

Example

Quan set two trestles in the yard before laying the plywood sheet across them.

lay [board] across two trestles

The art teacher put a long board on trestles for a temporary paint table.

on trestles for a temporary table

Common collocations
  • set something on trestles
  • fold up the trestles
  • metal trestles
  • wooden trestles
Synonyms
  • sawhorse

    closer in shape, but often used for cutting wood or repair work rather than for general table setups

  • stand

    broader and less specific; a stand can support many different kinds of objects

  • support

    the widest term; it names the function without implying this angled frame design

Grammar Patterns

a trestle

two trestles

on trestles

Usage Note

This sense usually refers to one of a pair placed under a tabletop, a door, or another flat board. It often appears in phrases like 'on trestles' when the speaker is thinking about the whole temporary table or work surface.

2. an open support frame under a bridge or rail track that carries it across low gr

2.nounC2
Definition

an open support frame under a bridge or rail track that carries it across low ground, especially on a railway line

Example

Engineers replaced the rotten wooden trestles before freight trains used the valley route again.

bridge trestles on a rail route

The old rail trestle carried the track over a marsh beside the river.

rail trestle over low ground

Common collocations
  • rail trestle
  • wooden trestle
  • steel trestle
  • bridge trestles
Synonyms
  • framework

    describes the structural form, but does not specifically suggest bridge support

  • support

    much broader; it can refer to any load-bearing structure, not this open bridge frame

  • viaduct

    usually names the whole raised bridge, often larger and more solid than a trestle

Grammar Patterns

a trestle

bridge trestles

rail trestle

Usage Note

In railway and bridge contexts, this word can name the supporting framework itself or, by extension, the short bridge section resting on that framework. It is especially associated with older timber or steel structures over marshes, valleys, and ravines.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Trestle, sawhorse, stand, and support all describe things that hold another object up, but they are not exact synonyms. A trestle is a frame with angled legs, often one of a pair placed under a tabletop or long board. A sawhorse is narrower in meaning and is usually used for cutting wood or doing repairs. A stand is much broader: it can hold a lamp, a music score, or a speaker. Support is the widest word of all and simply focuses on carrying weight. You might set a temporary dining table on trestles, but you would usually cut timber on a sawhorse and place a microphone on a stand.

sawhorsestand ↗support ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • rail trestle
  • wooden trestle
  • steel trestle

Prepositions

  • on trestles

Etymology

LatinVulgar LatinAnglo-FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Trestle came into English through Middle English and Anglo-French. It ultimately goes back to a Latin word for a cross-beam, which fits the idea of a frame that holds something up from below.

First known use

13th century

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1