A trestle is a wooden or metal structure that is used, for example, as one of the supports for a table. It has two pairs of sloping legs which are joined by a flat piece across the top.
trestle in British English
(ˈtrɛsəl)
noun
1.
a framework in the form of a horizontal member supported at each end by a pair of splayed legs, used to carry scaffold boards, a table top, etc
2.
a.
a braced structural tower-like framework of timber, metal, or reinforced concrete that is used to support a bridge or ropeway
b.
a bridge constructed of such frameworks
Word origin
C14: from Old French trestel, ultimately from Latin trānstrumtransom
trestle in American English
(ˈtrɛsəl)
noun
1.
a framework consisting of a horizontal beam fastened to two pairs of spreading legs, used to support planks to form a table, platform, etc.
2.
a.
a framework of vertical or slanting uprights and crosspieces, supporting a bridge, etc.
b.
a bridge with such a framework
Word origin
ME trestel < OFr < VL *transtellum, dim. of L transtrum, a beam: see transom
Examples of 'trestle' in a sentence
trestle
And equipment - filing cabinets, telephone handsets, trestle tables and folding chairs - kept arriving in great strength.
Hilton, John Buxton PASSION IN THE PEAK (1993)
He looked at Sam, who was standing next to a long polished trestle table he probably ate at.
Wood, Bari DOLL'S EYES (1993)
A wide courtyard lay before it with trestle tables and wooden benches ready for visitors who wished to sit and have a drink or a meal.
Brent-Dyer, Elinor CHALLENGE FOR THE CHALET SCHOOL (1993)
Along the short end of the L was a rough wooden trestle table and chairs.