retrench

Meaning

Verb

• To dig or redig a trench where one already exists.

Origin

• From Old French retranchier ("to get rid of, remove") (modern French retrancher ("to cut out, take away; to cut off; to cut down")), from re- + tranchier, trenchier (modern French trancher ("to slice")); further etymology uncertain, but possibly either from Vulgar Latin *trinicāre ("cut in three parts") (from the root trini from trēs, based on the model of duplicāre), or from an alteration of Latin truncāre ("to maim by cutting off pieces; to truncate"), also possibly influenced by Gaulish *trincare ("to cut (the head)"). Compare English trench.
• re- + trench.