truss

plural trusses

1. A bandage and belt used to hold a hernia in place.

   A truss may keep the abdominal contents from protruding into the hernial sac; however, this won't cure the hernia.

   2008, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, chapter 4, in Professional Guide to Diseases, →ISBN, page 280

2. architectureA structure made up of one or more triangular units made from straight beams of wood or metal, which is used to support a structure as in a roof or bridge.

   The weight of the wrought-ironwork in each of the trusses is 460 tons, inclusive of the longitudinal and cross girders weighing 130 tons.

   1952 September, “Chepstow River Bridge Centenary”, in Railway Magazine, page 623

3. architectureA triangular bracket.
4. An old English farming measurement. One truss of straw equalled 36 pounds, a truss of old hay equalled 56 pounds, a truss of new hay equalled 60 pounds, and 36 trusses equalled one load.
5. obsoleteA bundle; a package.

   bearing a truss of trifles at his back

   1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “May. Ægloga Quinta.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], →OCLC

6. historicalA padded jacket or dress worn under armour, to protect the body from the effects of friction.

   Puts off his palmer's weed unto his truss, which bore / The stains of ancient arms.

   1612, Michael Drayton, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [John Selden], editor, Poly-Olbion. Or A Chorographicall Description of Tracts, Riuers, Mountaines, Forests, and Other Parts of this Renowned Isle of Great Britaine, […], London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for M[athew] Lownes; I[ohn] Browne; I[ohn] Helme; I[ohn] Busbie, →OCLC

7. historicalPart of a woman's dress; a stomacher.
8. biologyA tuft of flowers or cluster of fruits formed at the top of the main stem of certain plants.
9. nauticalThe rope or iron used to keep the centre of a yard to the mast.

present singular third person trusses · participle present trussing · participle past trussed · past trussed

1. transitiveTo tie up a bird before cooking it.
2. transitiveTo secure or bind with ropes.

   Very largely haue I inueighed againſt this vice [gluttony] elſvvhere, vvherefore heere I vvill truſſe it vp more ſurcinct;^([sic – meaning succinct]) […]

   1593, Tho[mas] Nashe, Christs Teares Over Ierusalem. […], London: […] Iames Roberts, and are to be solde by Andrewe Wise, […], →OCLC, folio 76, verso

3. transitiveTo support.
4. To take fast hold of; to seize and hold firmly; to pounce upon.

   who trussing me as eagle doth his prey

   1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 18

5. To strengthen or stiffen, as a beam or girder, by means of a brace or braces.
6. archaicslangTo execute by hanging; to hang; usually with up.

   If they must truss me, I will repent of nothing

   1818 July 25, Jedediah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], Tales of My Landlord, Second Series, […] (The Heart of Mid-Lothian), volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Company, →OCLC

   Synonyms: string up, tuck up, forhang, Guy Fawkes, hang, ketch, send to the scaffold, scrag

plural Trusses

1. A surname from Old French.

   In her speech to the Atlantic Council, Truss will say: “Putin has launched a full-frontal assault not just on the Ukrainian people, but also on the very foundation of our societies and the rules by which we coexist – sovereignty, democracy, the UN charter.

   2022 March 9, Patrick Wintour, “Ukraine war marks paradigm shift on the scale of 9/11, says Liz Truss”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 05 Apr 2022