retrenchv.¹

Brit.

/rᵻˈtrɛn(t)ʃ/, U.S.

/rəˈtrɛn(t)ʃ/,

/riˈtrɛn(t)ʃ/

Forms: 1500s–1600s retrenche, 1500s– retrench; also Scottish pre-1700 retrinch.

Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymon: French retrencher.

Etymology: < Middle French retrencher, retrenchier (also Middle French retranchier , Middle French, French retrancher ) to remove entirely (1135 in Old French), to economize (on something), to reduce (expenditure), to remove a part from a whole (mid 12th cent. in Anglo-Norman), (reflexive) to deprive (oneself) of (1559) < Old French re- re- prefix + trenchier , trencher , tranchier trench v. Compare retranch v.

a. transitive. To reduce the extent, amount, or number of; to diminish, lessen, cut down. Also with to.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > quantity > decrease or reduction in quantity, amount, or degree > reduce in quantity, amount, or degree [verb (transitive)] > curtail

wanea889

dockc1380

bridgec1384

abridgea1393

limita1398

syncopec1412

defalk1475

shortena1535

to cut short?1542

royn1573

retrench1587

curtail1589

retranch1589

lop1594

scantle1596

scant1599

scantelize1611

curtalize1622

defalce1651

detrench1655

barb1657

defalcatea1690

razee1815

detruncate1846

to cut down1857

shave1898

1587 Ld. Buckhurst Let. 28 June in H. Brugmans Correspondentie van Robert Dudley (1931) II. 376 Determined to retrenche and limite his authoritye at his retorn.

1595 W. Purves Revenue Sc. Crown (1897) 14 They shall retrinch the superfluous number of servants in his Majestis house.

1625 in S. R. Gardiner Deb. House of Commons (1873) 86 Annuityes which..former parliaments have used to retrenche.

1655 T. Fuller Church-hist. Brit. iii. 32 His cloaths were reformed to gravity,..his expences contracted to frugality, his mirth retrenched to austerity.

1673 R. Leigh Transproser Rehears'd 98 They have..confer'd too large a power in civil affairs..; they will be sure to retrench it in spirituals.

1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 7. ¶4 It is the chief Concern of Wise-Men, to retrench the Evils of Life by the Reasonings of Philosophy.

1763 J. Mills New Syst. Pract. Husbandry III. 267 It is now some time since I have fed my coach-horses with it, and have retrenched their oats.

1827 H. W. Longfellow Let. 26 Feb. in S. Longfellow Life H. W. Longfellow (1886) I. vii. 101 The French ministry is..with the most bold shamefacedness endeavoring to retrench their liberty of thought.

1853 C. Brontë Villette II. xvii. 26 Even with them, all had not gone smoothly, and fortune had retrenched her once abundant gifts.

1967 G. Steiner Lang. & Silence 49 By retrenching language to a kind of powerful, lyric shorthand, Hemingway narrows the compass of observed and rendered life.

1991 Economist 13 July 90/3 A mature business, tied to British markets, with low investment needs, retrenched by Hanson to a few lucrative brands pumping money to Hanson head-office.

1997 J. J. Kronenfeld Changing Federal Role U.S. Health Care Policy 85 The Reagan administration retrenched the role of the federal government in personnel planning and training.

b. intransitive. To make a reduction in extent, amount, or number; to cut down on (also upon) something.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > quantity > decrease or reduction in quantity, amount, or degree > decrease in quantity, amount, or degree [verb (intransitive)] > make diminutions

scant1570

cant1580

retrench1659

1659 H. Stubbe Let. to Officer of Army 63 Let the making of laws not retrenching upon the fundamentals nor power of the Senate about the Militia, Ministry, or Universities, be in the power of the Parlament.

1675 in Coll. Parl. Deb. Eng. (1741) I. 84 The question..whether the bill..doth so far retrench upon the privileges of this house, that it ought therefore to be cast out.

1711 Visct. Bolingbroke Let. 2 Mar. (1798) I. 88 Agree to our retrenching on the latter head, and we will readily agree to ease you of your burden on the former.

1751 T. Smollett Peregrine Pickle IV. xcvii. 45 Better to retrench upon conviction than compulsion.

1813 J. C. Hobhouse Journey (ed. 2) 1039 The Vizier openly avowed his resolution of abolishing the Janissaries, or at least of..retrenching upon their privileges.

1881 A. Hennequin Pract. Lessons Idiomatic French (rev. ed.) 65 Prendre sur son sommeil, to retrench on one's sleep, to burn the midnight oil.

1915 Jrnl. Iowa State Med. Soc. 5 405/1 They proceed to eliminate..some of the essential foods, and when relief is not obtained they further retrench on their nourishment.

1970 Pop. Mech. Aug. 73/2 The automakers hope to carry this off by retrenching on the speed angle and recasting the cars in a new role.

2002 M. L. Stearns Constit. Process v. 220 It is more difficult for a conservative Supreme Court to retrench upon recently vindicated rights than it is for a liberal [one].

†2. transitive. To cut off or bar (a way or passage). Also figurative. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > closed or shut condition > close or shut [verb (transitive)] > close by obstruction or block up > block the way or a passage

forsetc900

withseta1300

stop13..

speara1325

withsperre1330

to stop one's way1338

shut1362

forbara1375

beseta1400

stopc1400

precludea1513

interclude1526

to shut up1526

forestall1528

fence1535

hedge1535

quar1542

foreclose1548

forestop1566

to flounder up1576

obstruct1578

bar1590

retrench1590

to shut the door in (also upon) (a person's) face1596

barricade1606

barricado1611

thwartc1630

blocka1644

overthwart1654

rebarricado1655

to choke up1673

blockade1696

embarrass1735

snow1816

roadblock1950

1590 T. Digges Breife Rep. Proc. Reliefe Sluce 1 There was no accesse vnto them, but vpon narrowe banks: the which were in manie places retrenched and cut off in such sort.

1614 W. Raleigh Hist. World i. iv. i. §5. 163 They retrencht his passage at the Straits of Thermopylis.

a1618 W. Raleigh Prerogatiue Parl. (1628) Ep. Ded. sig. A2^v Notwithstanding my restraint hath retrenched all wayes.., yet hath it left with me my cogitations.

†3. transitive. To check or restrain (an emotion, action, etc.). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > subjection > restraint or restraining > restrain [verb (transitive)]

pindeOE

steerc950

hold971

forbidc1000

withstewc1175

withholdc1200

stewa1225

crempa1250

bistintc1300

i-stillc1315

withdraw1340

entemperc1380

rebukec1380

forfenda1382

refraina1382

refrainc1390

restraina1393

restayc1400

retainc1415

to hold abackc1440

overholda1450

reclaim?c1450

revokec1450

bedwynge1480

sniba1500

repressa1525

rein1531

inhibit1535

to keep back1535

cohibit1544

reprimec1550

lithe1552

to rein up1574

check1581

embridle1583

to rein in1593

retrench1594

refrenate1599

to hold back1600

snip1601

becheck1605

sneap1611

trasha1616

supersede1645

reprimand1689

snape1691

to clap a guy on1814

to pull up1861

to pull in1893

withstrain1904

1594 L. Lewkenor tr. O. de la Marche Resolued Gentleman sig. A2 This Allegorie, shaped first in French, And thence transferd into Castilian verse, Conteining Rules our follies to retrench.

1607 W. Alexander Julius Cæsar ii. ii Whose rising hopes must be retrench'd so soone.

a1661 T. Fuller Worthies (1662) i. 21 Since their violence hath (blessed be God) been seasonably retrenched.

1688 Bp. S. Parker Reasons abrogating Test 89 Under the pious Reigns of David and Solomon the Sin of Idolatry was competently well retrench'd.

1728 R. Savage Bastard 36 While your backward Will retrench'd Desire, And unconcurring Spirits lent no Fire.

a. transitive. To remove (something, or part of something); to take away; to detach. Also: to take back, withdraw (a privilege, an honour, etc.). Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > place > removal or displacement > remove or displace [verb (transitive)] > remove or take away

ateec885

withbreidec890

animOE

overbearOE

to do awayOE

flitc1175

reavec1175

takec1175

to have away?a1300

to draw awayc1300

weve13..

to wend awaya1325

withdrawa1325

remuec1325

to carry away1363

to take away1372

waive1377

to long awaya1382

oftakec1390

to draw offa1398

to do froa1400

forflitc1420

amove?a1425

to carry out?a1425

surtrayc1440

surtretec1440

twistc1440

abstract1449

ostea1450

remove1459

ablatea1475

araisea1475

redd1479

dismove1480

diminish?1504

convey1530

alienate1534

retire1536

dimove1540

reversec1540

subtractc1540

submove1542

sublate1548

pare1549

to pull in1549

exempt1553

to shift off1567

retract?1570

renversec1586

aufer1587

to lay offa1593

rear1596

retrench1596

unhearse1596

exemea1600

remote1600

to set off1600

subduct1614

rob1627

extraneize1653

to bring off1656

to pull back1656

draft1742

extract1804

reef1901

1596 A. Copley Fig for Fortune 81 The holie Sacrificer..visited his flocke And..Out-weeded and retrenched from the stocke Whatsoeuer venym weed..Doblessa had sowne.

1619 in W. K. Tweedie Select Biogr. (1845) I. 123 Our Saviour giues them a commendation whilk he retrinches here after because it was bot temporarie.

1669 J. Denham Cato Major iii. 35 The Pruner's hand with letting blood must quench Thy heat, and thy exub'rant parts retrench.

1672 A. Marvell Rehearsal Transpros'd i. 28 He retrenches..on our part more than he hath Authority for.

1719 Free-thinker No. 96. 2 It is easier to retrench what is Superfluous, than to supply what is Deficient.

1723 E. Chambers tr. S. Le Clerc Treat. Archit. I. 118 I retrench one Modillion from the Corniche.

1773 O. Goldsmith She stoops to Conquer ii. 28 Is there any thing else you wish to retrench or alter, gentlemen?

1812 Gen. Hist. in Ann. Reg. 135 In others [sc. Parliaments] a year only had been retrenched from their term of existence.

1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. vi. 14 He gradually retrenched all the privileges which the schismatics enjoyed.

1915 A. E. P. B. Weigall Hist. Events Egypt iii. 114 A large number of Egyptian officers had been retrenched from the army by order of Mr Wilson.

b. transitive. To omit, excise, or delete (a portion of a written work). Also intransitive. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > memory > effacement, obliteration > efface, obliterate [verb (transitive)] > writing, etc.

deface1340

razea1393

blot1530

to put out1530

delete1540

dispunct1570

obliterate1578

expunct1596

expunge1602

erase1605

dele1612

dispunge1622

retrench1645

liturate1656

excise1663

to scratch out1712

efface1737

extrapolate1831

1645 J. Howell Epistolæ Ho-elianæ To Intelligent Rdr. Therfore the Author hath taken pains to retrench such redundant, unnecessary Letters in this Work.

1668 J. Dryden Of Dramatick Poesie 49 In his [sc. Ben Jonson's] works you find little to retrench or alter.

1700 N. Rowe Ambitious Step-mother Ep. Ded. I was led into an Error in the writing of it, by thinking that it would be easier to retrench than to add.

1704 J. Swift Disc. Mech. Operat. Spirit Advt., in Tale of Tub 281 I retrench'd those Parts that might give most Offence, and have now ventured to publish the Remainder.

1741 I. Watts Improvem. Mind i. iv. 64 Where he is redundant, mark those Paragraphs to be retrenched.

1788 E. Gibbon Decline & Fall IV. Pref. p. viii Our most correct writers have retrenched the Al, the superfluous article, from the Koran.

1839 H. Hallam Introd. Lit. Europe IV. vi. 463 The structure of his style is such that nothing could be displaced, nothing added, nothing retrenched.

1869 A. C. Swinburne in S. T. Coleridge Christabel Introd. p. xvi His ‘Ode to Tranquillity’, beginning with two stanzas since retrenched.

1903 R. Garnett & E. Gosse Eng. Lit. II. 227 The second edition..wants several passages found in the folio of 1623... These may have been retrenched owing to the length of the play.

a. transitive. To reduce (expenditure, living expenses, etc.).

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > management of money > expenditure > moderation or reduction in expenditure > spend money sparingly [verb (transitive)] > reduce expenditure

retrench1626

to cut down1857

to cut back1943

trim1966

1626 Proclam. Charles I 13 Aug. (single sheet) By what iust and honourable meanes, Wee might retrench all vndue or vnnecessary Charges, issuing out of Our Reuenue.

1666 D. Coxe Let. 5 Feb. in R. Boyle Corr. (2001) III. 61 Sir being (as I have allready acquainted you) about to retrench my expences in Chimistry I hope you will learne me some thrifty arts.

1693 in R. Willis & J. W. Clark Archit. Hist. Univ. Cambr. (1886) II. 376 It being necessary to retrench the expences, it was thought proper to spare the charge of the Organist.

1709 R. Steele & J. Addison Tatler No. 101. ⁋7 I..must be forced to retrench my expensive Way of Living.

1733 H. Fielding Miser (London ed.) i. vii. 12 If you would..retrench your Extravagancies on this Occasion, perhaps the Difference..might be made up.

1796 J. Morse Amer. Universal Geogr. (new ed.) I. 295 The colonies therefore entered into measures to..retrench the use of foreign superfluities.

1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. ii. 263 He could retrench his expenses by giving up the costly and useless settlement of Tangier.

1863 H. Fawcett Man. Polit. Econ. i. iv. 43 If the people..are induced to retrench their expenditure, trade will suffer.

1917 W. Haller Early Life R. Southey i. 12 She was henceforth compelled more and more closely to retrench her expenditures.

1999 E. A. Smith George IV iii. 31 His only ‘manly’ course was to retrench his expenses and set up a sinking fund into which to pay part of his annual income to clear his debts.

b. intransitive. To reduce expenditure; to economize; to cut back on (also upon).

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > management of money > expenditure > moderation or reduction in expenditure > spend money sparingly [verb (intransitive)] > reduce expenditure

retrench1663

economize1780

to tighten one's belt1902

to draw in (also shrink, pluck, pull in) one's horns1920

1663 S. Pepys Diary 27 July (1971) IV. 250 For his family expenses and others, he would labour however to retrench in many things convenient.

1738 A. Pope 7th Epist. 1st Bk. Horace in Wks. II. ii. 75 Can I retrench? Yes, mighty well, Shrink back to my Paternal Cell.

1763 F. Brooke Hist. Lady Julia Mandeville I. 65 I think I could trace out a plan by which you might retrench considerably in a manner scarce perceptible.

c1820 S. Rogers Italy (1836) 170 If rich, they go to enjoy; if poor, to retrench.

1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. xviii. 121 Every man who lived..on the fruits of his own industry was forced to retrench.

1899 Edinb. Rev. July 39 It was not in her to retrench upon the comfortable way of living to which she had accustomed her household.

1920 S. Lewis Main St. xi. 137 We ought to retrench, and not let the city council spend another cent.

1951 E. Bowen Shelbourne v. 106 To retrench without ceasing to cut a dash was now the object; money went a long way farther at home.

1972 Billboard 5 Feb. 26/5 Ampex is retrenching on product lines, consolidating divisions, cutting personnel.

2008 Independent (Nexis) 30 July 38 (headline) Retail activity collapses to 25-year low as consumers retrench.

c. transitive. To do without (a particular item of expense or luxury); to cut back on. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > management of money > expenditure > moderation or reduction in expenditure > spend money sparingly [verb (transitive)] > do away with an item of expense

retrench1667

1667 S. Pepys Diary 29 Aug. (1974) VIII. 405 My Lord Crew and his friends takes it very ill of me that my Lord Sandwiches Sea-fee should be retrenched.

1680 J. Dryden in N. Lee Cæsar Borgia Prol. sig. A4 So big you look, tho' Claret you retrench, That arm'd with bottled Ale, you huff the French.

1702 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion I. i. 40 His Credit was ample enough..to Retrench very much of the late unlimited Expences.

1714 Spectator No. 622. ⁋9 To retrench one Dish at my Table, till I have fetched it [sc. £10] up again.

1741 Lady M. W. Montagu Let. 12 Oct. (1966) II. 256 'Tis true as all Equipages are forbidden, that Expence is entirely retrench'd.

a1855 C. Brontë Professor (1857) II. xix. 71 Forced..to save in every detail, she had instantly on my departure retrenched a luxury too expensive to be enjoyed alone.

1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. xv. 566 When every gentleman, every farmer, was retrenching something from the charge of his table and his cellar.

1913 Edinb. Rev. July 75 The rich cannot retrench their luxuries, even to give to the poor, without reducing employment.

d. transitive. To make (an employee) redundant, esp. in order to economize; to dismiss, sack.Found in several varieties of English, but apparently uncommon in British and U.S. usage.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > lack of work > [verb (transitive)] > make redundant

retrench1891

release1918

attrit1953

outplace1970

shed1975

excess1976

1891 N.Z. Parl. Deb. 71 49/1 The Government, in the course of their economies, had retrenched the caretaker who hitherto had looked after the caves.

1908 Times 5 Aug. 10/3 Colonel Seely, the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, said that the total number of officials retrenched [in the Transvaal]..was 164.

1951 Daily Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica) 27 Apr. 1/8 The union complained that the management..was about to retrench workers at the Depot.

1975 Sunday Tel. (Brisbane) 16 Mar. 5/4 The best workers were kept on while others were retrenched.

1978 D. Bloodworth Crosstalk xix. 153 He was being forced to retrench Hilliard and four senior men as it was.

1987 India Today 15 Jan. 119/2 The plan to shut down the textile mill in Delhi, retrench 5,000 workers and sell the mill's real estate..has run into trouble.

2003 C. N. Adichie Purple Hibiscus (2004) 179 His father was a driver here in the university. But they retrenched him, and Ekwueme had to drop out of Nsukka High School.

†6. transitive. To reduce in size; to shorten. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > extension in space > reduction in size or extent > reduce in size or extent [verb (transitive)]

thinc900

narroweOE

smalleOE

slakea1300

adminisha1325

minisha1382

reduce?c1400

diminish1417

littlea1500

extenuate1555

enstraiten1590

scantle1596

scant1599

bedwarfa1631

epitomize1630

dwarf1638

retrench1640

stunt1659

to take in1700

belittle1785

dwarfify1816

reduct1819

micrify1836

clip1858

downsize1977

1640 G. Digby Third Speech 19 Doe their large Territories, their large Revenues offend? let them be retrencht, the good Bishop of Lippo had but a narrow Diocesse.

a1667 N. Tate et al. tr. A. Cowley Of Plants Pref., in A. Cowley 3rd Pt. Wks. (1689) sig. b2^v The very lowness of your Subject has retrenched your Wings.

1705 in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eminent Literary Men (1843) (Camden) 314 I was forced to retrench it half a sheet to make it of the same price of others.

1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 129. ¶6 That all the Women of Fashion were cutting their old Muffs in two, or retrenching them, according to the little Model that was got among them.

1785 W. Cowper Task ii. 318 It may correct a foible,..Retrench a sword-blade, or displace a patch.

1801 Gentlemen's Mag. Sept. 795/2 He retrenched its length, and made of it another pannel over the former.

1887 C. Hole Man. Bk. Common Prayer ii. 15 Gregory, by alterations and additions, but chiefly by expunging, retrenched and shortened the Gelasian service of the mass.

7. transitive. To relieve or deprive of a possession, privilege, or attribute. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > loss > taking away > take away [verb (transitive)] > deprive (of)

benimc890

to do of ——eOE

bedealc1000

disturbc1230

bereavec1275

reave?a1300

acquitc1300

benemec1300

deprivec1330

privea1382

subvertc1384

oppressc1395

abridgea1400

to bate of, from1399

lessa1400

nakena1400

dischargea1425

privatec1425

to bring outa1450

abatec1450

sever?1507

spulyie?1507

denude1513

disable1529

distrain1530

destituec1540

destitutec1540

defalk1541

to turn out of ——1545

discomfit1548

wipe1549

nude1551

disannul?a1556

bereft1557

diminish1559

benoom1563

joint1573

uncase1583

rid1585

disarm1590

visitc1592

ease1600

dispatch1604

unfurnisha1616

rig1629

retrench1640

unbecomea1641

disentail1641

cashier1690

twin1722

mulct1748

fordo1764

to do out of ——1796

to cut out1815

bate1823

deprivate1832

devoid1878

1640 tr. G. S. du Verdier Love & Armes Greeke Princes iii. v. 18 You will give mee just occasion to accuse your ingretitude, and to retrench you of those favours, which you receive here.

1664 S. Butler Hudibras: Second Pt. ii. ii. 69 Many a face Retrencht of Nose, and Eys, and Beard.

1698 tr. F. Froger Relation Voy. Coasts Afr. Pref. I have retrencht it of those tedious particulars.

1721 R. Bradley Philos. Acct. Wks. Nature 76 The Vegetables, which the Winter-Frosts retrenched of their Beauties, are enlivened.

1774 E. Long Hist. Jamaica I. i. x. 209 They hope, that they alone, of all the colonies, shall not be retrenched of the privileges natural to such assemblies.

1814 Eclectic Rev. July 15 They desire that the people shall be taxed, retrenched of their food, not merely to protect the farmer, but to enrich the landlords.

1878 Penn Monthly Aug. 571 Her new Bulgarian dependency has been retrenched of its Southern portion.

1905 S. Afr. Med. Rec. 25 Dec. 370/2 Even the unfortunate isolated D.S. in the Cape Native Territories has been retrenched of his forage allowance.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	retrench
释义	retrenchv.¹ Brit. /rᵻˈtrɛn(t)ʃ/, U.S. /rəˈtrɛn(t)ʃ/, /riˈtrɛn(t)ʃ/ Forms: 1500s–1600s retrenche, 1500s– retrench; also Scottish pre-1700 retrinch. Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymon: French retrencher. Etymology: < Middle French retrencher, retrenchier (also Middle French retranchier , Middle French, French retrancher ) to remove entirely (1135 in Old French), to economize (on something), to reduce (expenditure), to remove a part from a whole (mid 12th cent. in Anglo-Norman), (reflexive) to deprive (oneself) of (1559) < Old French re- re- prefix + trenchier , trencher , tranchier trench v. Compare retranch v. 1. a. transitive. To reduce the extent, amount, or number of; to diminish, lessen, cut down. Also with to. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > decrease or reduction in quantity, amount, or degree > reduce in quantity, amount, or degree [verb (transitive)] > curtail wanea889 dockc1380 bridgec1384 abridgea1393 limita1398 syncopec1412 defalk1475 shortena1535 to cut short?1542 royn1573 retrench1587 curtail1589 retranch1589 lop1594 scantle1596 scant1599 scantelize1611 curtalize1622 defalce1651 detrench1655 barb1657 defalcatea1690 razee1815 detruncate1846 to cut down1857 shave1898 1587 Ld. Buckhurst Let. 28 June in H. Brugmans Correspondentie van Robert Dudley (1931) II. 376 Determined to retrenche and limite his authoritye at his retorn. 1595 W. Purves Revenue Sc. Crown (1897) 14 They shall retrinch the superfluous number of servants in his Majestis house. 1625 in S. R. Gardiner Deb. House of Commons (1873) 86 Annuityes which..former parliaments have used to retrenche. 1655 T. Fuller Church-hist. Brit. iii. 32 His cloaths were reformed to gravity,..his expences contracted to frugality, his mirth retrenched to austerity. 1673 R. Leigh Transproser Rehears'd 98 They have..confer'd too large a power in civil affairs..; they will be sure to retrench it in spirituals. 1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 7. ¶4 It is the chief Concern of Wise-Men, to retrench the Evils of Life by the Reasonings of Philosophy. 1763 J. Mills New Syst. Pract. Husbandry III. 267 It is now some time since I have fed my coach-horses with it, and have retrenched their oats. 1827 H. W. Longfellow Let. 26 Feb. in S. Longfellow Life H. W. Longfellow (1886) I. vii. 101 The French ministry is..with the most bold shamefacedness endeavoring to retrench their liberty of thought. 1853 C. Brontë Villette II. xvii. 26 Even with them, all had not gone smoothly, and fortune had retrenched her once abundant gifts. 1967 G. Steiner Lang. & Silence 49 By retrenching language to a kind of powerful, lyric shorthand, Hemingway narrows the compass of observed and rendered life. 1991 Economist 13 July 90/3 A mature business, tied to British markets, with low investment needs, retrenched by Hanson to a few lucrative brands pumping money to Hanson head-office. 1997 J. J. Kronenfeld Changing Federal Role U.S. Health Care Policy 85 The Reagan administration retrenched the role of the federal government in personnel planning and training. b. intransitive. To make a reduction in extent, amount, or number; to cut down on (also upon) something. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > decrease or reduction in quantity, amount, or degree > decrease in quantity, amount, or degree [verb (intransitive)] > make diminutions scant1570 cant1580 retrench1659 1659 H. Stubbe Let. to Officer of Army 63 Let the making of laws not retrenching upon the fundamentals nor power of the Senate about the Militia, Ministry, or Universities, be in the power of the Parlament. 1675 in Coll. Parl. Deb. Eng. (1741) I. 84 The question..whether the bill..doth so far retrench upon the privileges of this house, that it ought therefore to be cast out. 1711 Visct. Bolingbroke Let. 2 Mar. (1798) I. 88 Agree to our retrenching on the latter head, and we will readily agree to ease you of your burden on the former. 1751 T. Smollett Peregrine Pickle IV. xcvii. 45 Better to retrench upon conviction than compulsion. 1813 J. C. Hobhouse Journey (ed. 2) 1039 The Vizier openly avowed his resolution of abolishing the Janissaries, or at least of..retrenching upon their privileges. 1881 A. Hennequin Pract. Lessons Idiomatic French (rev. ed.) 65 Prendre sur son sommeil, to retrench on one's sleep, to burn the midnight oil. 1915 Jrnl. Iowa State Med. Soc. 5 405/1 They proceed to eliminate..some of the essential foods, and when relief is not obtained they further retrench on their nourishment. 1970 Pop. Mech. Aug. 73/2 The automakers hope to carry this off by retrenching on the speed angle and recasting the cars in a new role. 2002 M. L. Stearns Constit. Process v. 220 It is more difficult for a conservative Supreme Court to retrench upon recently vindicated rights than it is for a liberal [one]. †2. transitive. To cut off or bar (a way or passage). Also figurative. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > closed or shut condition > close or shut [verb (transitive)] > close by obstruction or block up > block the way or a passage forsetc900 withseta1300 stop13.. speara1325 withsperre1330 to stop one's way1338 shut1362 forbara1375 beseta1400 stopc1400 precludea1513 interclude1526 to shut up1526 forestall1528 fence1535 hedge1535 quar1542 foreclose1548 forestop1566 to flounder up1576 obstruct1578 bar1590 retrench1590 to shut the door in (also upon) (a person's) face1596 barricade1606 barricado1611 thwartc1630 blocka1644 overthwart1654 rebarricado1655 to choke up1673 blockade1696 embarrass1735 snow1816 roadblock1950 1590 T. Digges Breife Rep. Proc. Reliefe Sluce 1 There was no accesse vnto them, but vpon narrowe banks: the which were in manie places retrenched and cut off in such sort. 1614 W. Raleigh Hist. World i. iv. i. §5. 163 They retrencht his passage at the Straits of Thermopylis. a1618 W. Raleigh Prerogatiue Parl. (1628) Ep. Ded. sig. A2^v Notwithstanding my restraint hath retrenched all wayes.., yet hath it left with me my cogitations. †3. transitive. To check or restrain (an emotion, action, etc.). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > authority > subjection > restraint or restraining > restrain [verb (transitive)] pindeOE steerc950 hold971 forbidc1000 withstewc1175 withholdc1200 stewa1225 crempa1250 bistintc1300 i-stillc1315 withdraw1340 entemperc1380 rebukec1380 forfenda1382 refraina1382 refrainc1390 restraina1393 restayc1400 retainc1415 to hold abackc1440 overholda1450 reclaim?c1450 revokec1450 bedwynge1480 sniba1500 repressa1525 rein1531 inhibit1535 to keep back1535 cohibit1544 reprimec1550 lithe1552 to rein up1574 check1581 embridle1583 to rein in1593 retrench1594 refrenate1599 to hold back1600 snip1601 becheck1605 sneap1611 trasha1616 supersede1645 reprimand1689 snape1691 to clap a guy on1814 to pull up1861 to pull in1893 withstrain1904 1594 L. Lewkenor tr. O. de la Marche Resolued Gentleman sig. A2 This Allegorie, shaped first in French, And thence transferd into Castilian verse, Conteining Rules our follies to retrench. 1607 W. Alexander Julius Cæsar ii. ii Whose rising hopes must be retrench'd so soone. a1661 T. Fuller Worthies (1662) i. 21 Since their violence hath (blessed be God) been seasonably retrenched. 1688 Bp. S. Parker Reasons abrogating Test 89 Under the pious Reigns of David and Solomon the Sin of Idolatry was competently well retrench'd. 1728 R. Savage Bastard 36 While your backward Will retrench'd Desire, And unconcurring Spirits lent no Fire. 4. a. transitive. To remove (something, or part of something); to take away; to detach. Also: to take back, withdraw (a privilege, an honour, etc.). Now rare. ΘΚΠ the world > space > place > removal or displacement > remove or displace [verb (transitive)] > remove or take away ateec885 withbreidec890 animOE overbearOE to do awayOE flitc1175 reavec1175 takec1175 to have away?a1300 to draw awayc1300 weve13.. to wend awaya1325 withdrawa1325 remuec1325 to carry away1363 to take away1372 waive1377 to long awaya1382 oftakec1390 to draw offa1398 to do froa1400 forflitc1420 amove?a1425 to carry out?a1425 surtrayc1440 surtretec1440 twistc1440 abstract1449 ostea1450 remove1459 ablatea1475 araisea1475 redd1479 dismove1480 diminish?1504 convey1530 alienate1534 retire1536 dimove1540 reversec1540 subtractc1540 submove1542 sublate1548 pare1549 to pull in1549 exempt1553 to shift off1567 retract?1570 renversec1586 aufer1587 to lay offa1593 rear1596 retrench1596 unhearse1596 exemea1600 remote1600 to set off1600 subduct1614 rob1627 extraneize1653 to bring off1656 to pull back1656 draft1742 extract1804 reef1901 1596 A. Copley Fig for Fortune 81 The holie Sacrificer..visited his flocke And..Out-weeded and retrenched from the stocke Whatsoeuer venym weed..Doblessa had sowne. 1619 in W. K. Tweedie Select Biogr. (1845) I. 123 Our Saviour giues them a commendation whilk he retrinches here after because it was bot temporarie. 1669 J. Denham Cato Major iii. 35 The Pruner's hand with letting blood must quench Thy heat, and thy exub'rant parts retrench. 1672 A. Marvell Rehearsal Transpros'd i. 28 He retrenches..on our part more than he hath Authority for. 1719 Free-thinker No. 96. 2 It is easier to retrench what is Superfluous, than to supply what is Deficient. 1723 E. Chambers tr. S. Le Clerc Treat. Archit. I. 118 I retrench one Modillion from the Corniche. 1773 O. Goldsmith She stoops to Conquer ii. 28 Is there any thing else you wish to retrench or alter, gentlemen? 1812 Gen. Hist. in Ann. Reg. 135 In others [sc. Parliaments] a year only had been retrenched from their term of existence. 1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. vi. 14 He gradually retrenched all the privileges which the schismatics enjoyed. 1915 A. E. P. B. Weigall Hist. Events Egypt iii. 114 A large number of Egyptian officers had been retrenched from the army by order of Mr Wilson. b. transitive. To omit, excise, or delete (a portion of a written work). Also intransitive. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > memory > effacement, obliteration > efface, obliterate [verb (transitive)] > writing, etc. deface1340 razea1393 blot1530 to put out1530 delete1540 dispunct1570 obliterate1578 expunct1596 expunge1602 erase1605 dele1612 dispunge1622 retrench1645 liturate1656 excise1663 to scratch out1712 efface1737 extrapolate1831 1645 J. Howell Epistolæ Ho-elianæ To Intelligent Rdr. Therfore the Author hath taken pains to retrench such redundant, unnecessary Letters in this Work. 1668 J. Dryden Of Dramatick Poesie 49 In his [sc. Ben Jonson's] works you find little to retrench or alter. 1700 N. Rowe Ambitious Step-mother Ep. Ded. I was led into an Error in the writing of it, by thinking that it would be easier to retrench than to add. 1704 J. Swift Disc. Mech. Operat. Spirit Advt., in Tale of Tub 281 I retrench'd those Parts that might give most Offence, and have now ventured to publish the Remainder. 1741 I. Watts Improvem. Mind i. iv. 64 Where he is redundant, mark those Paragraphs to be retrenched. 1788 E. Gibbon Decline & Fall IV. Pref. p. viii Our most correct writers have retrenched the Al, the superfluous article, from the Koran. 1839 H. Hallam Introd. Lit. Europe IV. vi. 463 The structure of his style is such that nothing could be displaced, nothing added, nothing retrenched. 1869 A. C. Swinburne in S. T. Coleridge Christabel Introd. p. xvi His ‘Ode to Tranquillity’, beginning with two stanzas since retrenched. 1903 R. Garnett & E. Gosse Eng. Lit. II. 227 The second edition..wants several passages found in the folio of 1623... These may have been retrenched owing to the length of the play. 5. a. transitive. To reduce (expenditure, living expenses, etc.). ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > management of money > expenditure > moderation or reduction in expenditure > spend money sparingly [verb (transitive)] > reduce expenditure retrench1626 to cut down1857 to cut back1943 trim1966 1626 Proclam. Charles I 13 Aug. (single sheet) By what iust and honourable meanes, Wee might retrench all vndue or vnnecessary Charges, issuing out of Our Reuenue. 1666 D. Coxe Let. 5 Feb. in R. Boyle Corr. (2001) III. 61 Sir being (as I have allready acquainted you) about to retrench my expences in Chimistry I hope you will learne me some thrifty arts. 1693 in R. Willis & J. W. Clark Archit. Hist. Univ. Cambr. (1886) II. 376 It being necessary to retrench the expences, it was thought proper to spare the charge of the Organist. 1709 R. Steele & J. Addison Tatler No. 101. ⁋7 I..must be forced to retrench my expensive Way of Living. 1733 H. Fielding Miser (London ed.) i. vii. 12 If you would..retrench your Extravagancies on this Occasion, perhaps the Difference..might be made up. 1796 J. Morse Amer. Universal Geogr. (new ed.) I. 295 The colonies therefore entered into measures to..retrench the use of foreign superfluities. 1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. ii. 263 He could retrench his expenses by giving up the costly and useless settlement of Tangier. 1863 H. Fawcett Man. Polit. Econ. i. iv. 43 If the people..are induced to retrench their expenditure, trade will suffer. 1917 W. Haller Early Life R. Southey i. 12 She was henceforth compelled more and more closely to retrench her expenditures. 1999 E. A. Smith George IV iii. 31 His only ‘manly’ course was to retrench his expenses and set up a sinking fund into which to pay part of his annual income to clear his debts. b. intransitive. To reduce expenditure; to economize; to cut back on (also upon). ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > management of money > expenditure > moderation or reduction in expenditure > spend money sparingly [verb (intransitive)] > reduce expenditure retrench1663 economize1780 to tighten one's belt1902 to draw in (also shrink, pluck, pull in) one's horns1920 1663 S. Pepys Diary 27 July (1971) IV. 250 For his family expenses and others, he would labour however to retrench in many things convenient. 1738 A. Pope 7th Epist. 1st Bk. Horace in Wks. II. ii. 75 Can I retrench? Yes, mighty well, Shrink back to my Paternal Cell. 1763 F. Brooke Hist. Lady Julia Mandeville I. 65 I think I could trace out a plan by which you might retrench considerably in a manner scarce perceptible. c1820 S. Rogers Italy (1836) 170 If rich, they go to enjoy; if poor, to retrench. 1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. xviii. 121 Every man who lived..on the fruits of his own industry was forced to retrench. 1899 Edinb. Rev. July 39 It was not in her to retrench upon the comfortable way of living to which she had accustomed her household. 1920 S. Lewis Main St. xi. 137 We ought to retrench, and not let the city council spend another cent. 1951 E. Bowen Shelbourne v. 106 To retrench without ceasing to cut a dash was now the object; money went a long way farther at home. 1972 Billboard 5 Feb. 26/5 Ampex is retrenching on product lines, consolidating divisions, cutting personnel. 2008 Independent (Nexis) 30 July 38 (headline) Retail activity collapses to 25-year low as consumers retrench. c. transitive. To do without (a particular item of expense or luxury); to cut back on. Now rare. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > management of money > expenditure > moderation or reduction in expenditure > spend money sparingly [verb (transitive)] > do away with an item of expense retrench1667 1667 S. Pepys Diary 29 Aug. (1974) VIII. 405 My Lord Crew and his friends takes it very ill of me that my Lord Sandwiches Sea-fee should be retrenched. 1680 J. Dryden in N. Lee Cæsar Borgia Prol. sig. A4 So big you look, tho' Claret you retrench, That arm'd with bottled Ale, you huff the French. 1702 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion I. i. 40 His Credit was ample enough..to Retrench very much of the late unlimited Expences. 1714 Spectator No. 622. ⁋9 To retrench one Dish at my Table, till I have fetched it [sc. £10] up again. 1741 Lady M. W. Montagu Let. 12 Oct. (1966) II. 256 'Tis true as all Equipages are forbidden, that Expence is entirely retrench'd. a1855 C. Brontë Professor (1857) II. xix. 71 Forced..to save in every detail, she had instantly on my departure retrenched a luxury too expensive to be enjoyed alone. 1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. xv. 566 When every gentleman, every farmer, was retrenching something from the charge of his table and his cellar. 1913 Edinb. Rev. July 75 The rich cannot retrench their luxuries, even to give to the poor, without reducing employment. d. transitive. To make (an employee) redundant, esp. in order to economize; to dismiss, sack.Found in several varieties of English, but apparently uncommon in British and U.S. usage. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > lack of work > [verb (transitive)] > make redundant retrench1891 release1918 attrit1953 outplace1970 shed1975 excess1976 1891 N.Z. Parl. Deb. 71 49/1 The Government, in the course of their economies, had retrenched the caretaker who hitherto had looked after the caves. 1908 Times 5 Aug. 10/3 Colonel Seely, the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, said that the total number of officials retrenched [in the Transvaal]..was 164. 1951 Daily Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica) 27 Apr. 1/8 The union complained that the management..was about to retrench workers at the Depot. 1975 Sunday Tel. (Brisbane) 16 Mar. 5/4 The best workers were kept on while others were retrenched. 1978 D. Bloodworth Crosstalk xix. 153 He was being forced to retrench Hilliard and four senior men as it was. 1987 India Today 15 Jan. 119/2 The plan to shut down the textile mill in Delhi, retrench 5,000 workers and sell the mill's real estate..has run into trouble. 2003 C. N. Adichie Purple Hibiscus (2004) 179 His father was a driver here in the university. But they retrenched him, and Ekwueme had to drop out of Nsukka High School. †6. transitive. To reduce in size; to shorten. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > space > extension in space > reduction in size or extent > reduce in size or extent [verb (transitive)] thinc900 narroweOE smalleOE slakea1300 adminisha1325 minisha1382 reduce?c1400 diminish1417 littlea1500 extenuate1555 enstraiten1590 scantle1596 scant1599 bedwarfa1631 epitomize1630 dwarf1638 retrench1640 stunt1659 to take in1700 belittle1785 dwarfify1816 reduct1819 micrify1836 clip1858 downsize1977 1640 G. Digby Third Speech 19 Doe their large Territories, their large Revenues offend? let them be retrencht, the good Bishop of Lippo had but a narrow Diocesse. a1667 N. Tate et al. tr. A. Cowley Of Plants Pref., in A. Cowley 3rd Pt. Wks. (1689) sig. b2^v The very lowness of your Subject has retrenched your Wings. 1705 in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eminent Literary Men (1843) (Camden) 314 I was forced to retrench it half a sheet to make it of the same price of others. 1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 129. ¶6 That all the Women of Fashion were cutting their old Muffs in two, or retrenching them, according to the little Model that was got among them. 1785 W. Cowper Task ii. 318 It may correct a foible,..Retrench a sword-blade, or displace a patch. 1801 Gentlemen's Mag. Sept. 795/2 He retrenched its length, and made of it another pannel over the former. 1887 C. Hole Man. Bk. Common Prayer ii. 15 Gregory, by alterations and additions, but chiefly by expunging, retrenched and shortened the Gelasian service of the mass. 7. transitive. To relieve or deprive of a possession, privilege, or attribute. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > loss > taking away > take away [verb (transitive)] > deprive (of) benimc890 to do of ——eOE bedealc1000 disturbc1230 bereavec1275 reave?a1300 acquitc1300 benemec1300 deprivec1330 privea1382 subvertc1384 oppressc1395 abridgea1400 to bate of, from1399 lessa1400 nakena1400 dischargea1425 privatec1425 to bring outa1450 abatec1450 sever?1507 spulyie?1507 denude1513 disable1529 distrain1530 destituec1540 destitutec1540 defalk1541 to turn out of ——1545 discomfit1548 wipe1549 nude1551 disannul?a1556 bereft1557 diminish1559 benoom1563 joint1573 uncase1583 rid1585 disarm1590 visitc1592 ease1600 dispatch1604 unfurnisha1616 rig1629 retrench1640 unbecomea1641 disentail1641 cashier1690 twin1722 mulct1748 fordo1764 to do out of ——1796 to cut out1815 bate1823 deprivate1832 devoid1878 1640 tr. G. S. du Verdier Love & Armes Greeke Princes iii. v. 18 You will give mee just occasion to accuse your ingretitude, and to retrench you of those favours, which you receive here. 1664 S. Butler Hudibras: Second Pt. ii. ii. 69 Many a face Retrencht of Nose, and Eys, and Beard. 1698 tr. F. Froger Relation Voy. Coasts Afr. Pref. I have retrencht it of those tedious particulars. 1721 R. Bradley Philos. Acct. Wks. Nature 76 The Vegetables, which the Winter-Frosts retrenched of their Beauties, are enlivened. 1774 E. Long Hist. Jamaica I. i. x. 209 They hope, that they alone, of all the colonies, shall not be retrenched of the privileges natural to such assemblies. 1814 Eclectic Rev. July 15 They desire that the people shall be taxed, retrenched of their food, not merely to protect the farmer, but to enrich the landlords. 1878 Penn Monthly Aug. 571 Her new Bulgarian dependency has been retrenched of its Southern portion. 1905 S. Afr. Med. Rec. 25 Dec. 370/2 Even the unfortunate isolated D.S. in the Cape Native Territories has been retrenched of his forage allowance. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022). retrenchv.² Brit. /rᵻˈtrɛn(t)ʃ/, U.S. /rəˈtrɛn(t)ʃ/, /riˈtrɛn(t)ʃ/ Origin: Formed within English, by derivation; probably modelled on a French lexical item. Etymons: re- prefix, trench v. Etymology: < re- prefix + trench v., probably after French retrancher to fortify (a place) with trenches and banks (probably late 16th cent. in Middle French). Compare slightly earlier retrenchment n.¹ Compare also retrench v.¹ Now historical. 1. transitive. To protect (a person, a battalion, etc.) with a retrenchment or retrenchments; to provide (a town, a fort, etc.) with a retrenchment or retrenchments. More generally: to fortify. Also intransitive. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > defence > defensive work(s) > fortify [verb (transitive)] > furnish with inner works retrench1590 society > armed hostility > defence > defensive work(s) > fortify [verb (reflexive)] > furnish with inner works retrench1590 1590 R. Williams Briefe Disc. Warre 48 The defendants shall not finde much ground within them, to retrench themselues against the cannon. 1598 R. Barret Theorike & Pract. Mod. Warres v. 131 To rampire, repaire, and to retrench against batteries. 1600 R. Churche tr. M. Fumée Hist. Troubles Hungarie iv. 147 They perceiued how the Turks were retrenched within [Fr. s'estoient retranchez]. 1675 London Gaz. No. 1019/3 The Besiegers had perfectly retrenched themselves between the said Abby and the place. 1690 tr. U. Chevreau Great Scanderberg 116 He..saw Musselman retrenched in a steep Rock. 1734 B. Franklin Variant Accts. of Battle 19 Dec. in Writings (1987) 236 The French had at Quistello, (which they had well retrenched) 1000 Men and nine Pieces of Cannon. 1828 J. M. Spearman Brit. Gunner 210 When the ravelin has no réduit, it may be retrenched by a parapet en tenaille; but the narrow ravelins of Cormontaingne can only be retrenched by coupures, across their faces. 1863 A. W. Kinglake Invasion of Crimea II. 50 But when they sprang a mine, they ever found that behind the ruins the Turks stood retrenched. 1999 J. E. Kaufmann & R. M. Jurga Fortress Europe xiv. 357 Zhukov, retrenched in his own position, did not allow the transfer of additional artillery from the Stalin Line to the border defenses. 2. transitive. figurative. To establish in a secure or defended position; to protect. Chiefly reflexive. Also intransitive with reflexive meaning. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > safety > make safe or secure [verb (transitive)] stablishc1384 assure1413 sure?a1425 secure1587 assecurea1600 trench1601 safe1602 insafe1628 retrench1705 the world > action or operation > safety > obtain safety [verb (reflexive)] > take up secure position retrench1705 snug1795 ensconce1820 the world > action or operation > safety > protection or defence > protect or defend [verb (transitive)] > secure or protect fence1435 munite1533 fortress1542 entrench1559 bulwark1610 antidote1630 retrench1705 vaccinate1809 inoculate1863 immunize1903 1705 J. Addison Remarks Italy 513 To retrench themselves within the Conveniencies and Necessities of Life. 1826 D. G. Wait Course of Serm. iii. 100 The Apostle,..retrenching himself within the sacerdotal character of Melchisedek. 1889 Andover Rev. Feb. 213 When largely retrenched within the Constitution, the central government had still all the powers that it needed. 1922 Eugenical News Mar. 27/1 The Indians have retrenched themselves in apathy as a response to the cruel haughtiness of the early arriving Spaniards. 1950 Contemp. Polit. Sci. (Unesco) 259 The Catholics retrenched themselves more and more firmly behind the authorized traditions and teachings of their elders. 1991 Daughters of Sarah May 23/2 Her scathing analyses of the Reagan administration efforts to retrench on ground earlier won..are..fascinating. 2006 Calgary (Alberta) Sun (Nexis) 22 Sept. g3 The New Mariah was very much the Old Mariah..retrenching herself as pop's reigning diva in the face of such whippersnappers as Kelly Clarkson. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022). retrenchv.³ Brit. /ˌriːˈtrɛn(t)ʃ/, U.S. /riˈtrɛn(t)ʃ/ Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: re- prefix, trench v. Etymology: < re- prefix + trench v. transitive. To trench for a second or further time; esp. to dig a new trench or new trenches in (a piece of ground). Also intransitive. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > industry > earth-moving, etc. > [verb (transitive)] > make trench or ditch > again retrench1683 1683 J. Reid Scots Gard'ner ii. ii. 66 If at every trenching you apply proper manures..and in 5 years retrench, it [sc. the ground] will become to your wish. 1779 W. Marshall Exper. & Observ. conc. Agric. & Weather 106 They were thoroughly harrowed, and presently afterwards retrenched and cross-furrowed for the winter. 1842 J. C. Loudon Suburban Horticulturist iii. v. 666 If the ground is re-trenched immediately before planting, so much the better. 1889 Bull. Misc. Information (Royal Gardens, Kew) June 136 At the end of this time the old roots are dug up, the land re-trenched and manured and fresh cuttings planted. 1979 Bull. Amer. Schools Oriental Res. No. 233. 71/2 It would seem that the wall was retrenched twice, once..to add rectangular towers of ashlar masonry.., and once..to add semicircular bastions. 1994 Improving Safety Marine Pipelines (Comm. Safety Marine Pipelines) iv. 52 Jetting, uncovering, and retrenching pipelines disrupts the marine environment. 2005 J. E. McWilliams Revol. in Eating ii. 68 Gardeners trenched and retrenched until the garden maintained its fertility throughout the autumn and winter months. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < v.¹1587v.²1590v.³1683
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