trestle

noun

tres·​tle ˈtre-səl 

also ˈtrə-

variants or less commonly tressel

1

: a braced frame serving as a support

2

: horse sense 2b

3

: a braced framework of timbers, piles, or steelwork for carrying a road or railroad over a depression

Examples of trestle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After much planning and coordination, a locomotive and burning trestle bridge collapsed on cue, complete with a dummy engineer in the driving cabin. — Brian Bull, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026

Inside, in what is normally a sports hall, hundreds of people are sleeping overnight on trestle beds. — Emma Burrows, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026

Pylons for the trestle, the path that will support construction, have also been secured in the Patapsco River. — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026

The woman, who had begun to experience cognitive impairment, was hiking with a group of family and friends toward old train trestles in the area. — Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 29 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English trestel, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *trastellum, from Latin transtillum, diminutive of transtrum traverse beam, from trans across — more at through entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing trestle

• trestle table

Rhymes for trestle

• cresol
• decile
• nestle
• pestle
• sessile
• vessel
• wessel
• wrestle
• subsessile

Kids Definition

trestle

noun

tres·​tle ˈtres-əl 

1

: a braced frame consisting usually of a horizontal piece with spreading legs at each end that supports something (as the top of a table)

2

: a structure of timbers or steel for carrying a road or railroad over a valley