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

The old trestle, built about 1940, is supported by sets of wooden posts set 14 feet apart. —Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026

The piece is abstract, and combines — to break it down for the sake of easy discussion — the shape of a railroad trestle adorned with hummingbird feathers. —Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 12 Jan. 2026

Against the wall, a plywood trestle bore a series of 24 x 32-inch black-and-white photographs. —Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025

But Larry Ames — who led the unsuccessful fight to save the Willow Glen trestle — did one better by writing a book on the subject. —Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 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