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

Both offer gentle grades, restored trestles, and beautiful river or forest views. —Erin Gifford, Southern Living, 31 May 2025

Keaton and crew built a 215-ft-long (65.5-m) wooden trestle across the river. —Joe Salas june 07, New Atlas, 7 June 2025

The Exeter Police Department said in a statement that emergency crews responded to a wooded area of the train tracks outbound from the Newfields Road trestle on Monday, June 2, after train officials reported an incident. —David Chiu, People.com, 4 June 2025

Their recent expansion—developing the historic-but-vacant trestle corridor—adds zhuzh to the city, with a four-season biergarten, an adjacent craft cocktail lounge, and more. —Jacqueline Kehoe, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2025

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