truss

¹truss

transitive verb \ˈtrəs\

Definition of TRUSS

1

a : to secure tightly : bind

b : to arrange for cooking by binding close the wings or legs of (a fowl)

2

: to support, strengthen, or stiffen by or as if by a truss

— truss·er noun

Examples of TRUSS

1. She stuffed and trussed the duck.
2. <after stuffing the turkey, the chef quickly trussed it so the forcemeat wouldn't fall out during roasting>

Origin of TRUSS

Middle English to pack, load, bind, from Anglo-French trusser, trousser, from Vulgar Latin *torsare, from *torsus twisted — more at torsade

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to TRUSS

Synonyms

band, bind, tie

Antonyms

unbind, untie

Related Words

cinch, cord, rope, strap, thread, wire; gird, girt; lash, leash, tether; interlace, intertwine, interweave, lace; entangle, knot, snarl, tangle, twist; coil, wind

Near Antonyms

undo, unfasten, unlace, unlash, unloose, unloosen, unstrap, unstring, unthread; unleash, untether; disentangle, unravel, unsnarl, untangle, untwine, untwist; uncoil, unspool, unwind

Rhymes with TRUSS

bus, buss, crus, cuss, fuss, muss, plus, pus, Russ, suss, thus, us

²truss

noun

Definition of TRUSS

1

: an iron band around a lower mast with an attachment by which a yard is secured to the mast

2

a : bracket 1

b : an assemblage of members (as beams) forming a rigid framework

3

: a device worn to reduce a hernia by pressure

4

: a compact flower or fruit cluster

First Known Use of TRUSS

13th century

Other Building Terms

batten, cistern, hearth, lath, transom, wainscot

truss

noun \ˈtrəs\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of TRUSS

: a device worn to reduce a hernia by pressure

truss

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

A truss's outer members are called the chords, its interior members are called the web members, and …—© Merriam-Webster Inc.

In building construction, a structural frame usually fabricated from pieces of metal or timber to form a series of triangles lying in a single plane. The linear members are subject only to compression or tension. The horizontal pieces forming the top and bottom of the truss are called the chords, and the sloping and vertical pieces connecting the chords are collectively called the web. Unlike a vault, the truss exerts no thrust but only downward pressure; supporting walls require no buttressing or extra thickening. Trusses have been used extensively in roofing and bridges. Wood trusses were probably first used in primitive dwellings c. 2500 BC. Wood was replaced by iron, which in turn was succeeded by steel.