trunk line

noun

1
: a transportation system (such as an airline, railroad, or highway) handling long-distance through traffic
2
a
: a main supply channel (as for gas or oil)

Examples of trunk line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Stationmasters along that part of Greece’s main trunk line communicate with each other and with train drivers via two-way radios, and the switches are operated manually. Demetris Nellas and Costas Kantouris, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2023 The first 430-mile stretch of a new trunk line isn’t expected to be completed until next year after the sputtering economy constrained infrastructure investments and left companies locked out of credit markets. Jonathan Gilbert, Bloomberg.com, 28 Mar. 2022 But rather than a random scattering of facilities that process this or handle that, the report envisions a centralized trunk line down the middle of the state along which everything would be located. Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, 4 Feb. 2020 This way, trucks wouldn't have to travel very far to reach a railroad, which could carry it along that trunk line. Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, 4 Feb. 2020 Larger diameter trunk lines are to replace narrow pipes draining the campus between Main Street and the Connecticut River. Jesse Leavenworth, courant.com, 14 Oct. 2019 One morning a string of seven green and white IBAMA 4x4s and an escort of police pickups snaked past piles of enormous tree trunks lining the edge of an expansive lumberyard. Felipe Fittipaldi, National Geographic, 28 Aug. 2019 Integration with export and industrial zones is low, as the main trunk line does not connect to individual industrial zones, creating significant last-mile shipping and logistics for firms, particularly at port connections. Yunnan Chen, Quartz Africa, 4 June 2019 Internet service — essential to placing an order — cuts out frequently during the best of times and goes down entirely for weeks or months during winter, when the trunk line to Srinagar, the state capital, is damaged under the snow. New York Times, 2 July 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trunk line.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of trunk line was in 1843

Dictionary Entries Near trunk line

Cite this Entry

“Trunk line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trunk%20line. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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