noun1. (often plural) a hindrance to free action or movement
2. Also called: trammel net a fishing net in three sections, the two outer nets having a large mesh and the middle one a fine mesh
4. US a fetter or shackle, esp one used in teaching a horse to amble
5. a device for drawing ellipses consisting of a flat sheet of metal, plastic, or wood having a cruciform slot in which run two pegs attached to a beam. The free end of the beam describes an ellipse
6. (sometimes plural) another name for beam compass
7. Also called: tram a gauge for setting up machines correctly
8. a device set in a fireplace to support cooking pots
verbWord forms: -els, -elling, -elledWord forms: US -els, -eling or -eled (transitive)11. to produce an accurate setting of (a machine adjustment), as with a trammel
Word origin
C14: from Old French
tramail three-mesh net, from Late Latin
trēmaculum, from Latin
trēs three +
macula hole, mesh in a net