truss

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

truss, n. [OE. trusse, F. trousse, OF. also tourse; perhaps fr. L. tryrsus stalk, stem. Cf. Thyrsus, Torso, Trousers, Trousseau.].

•  A bundle; a package; as, a truss of grass.  Fabyan.  [1913 Webster]

  " A truss of hay in England is 56 lbs. of old and 60 lbs. of new hay; a truss of straw is 36 lbs."  [1913 Webster]

  "Bearing a truss of trifles at his back."  [1913 Webster]
•  A padded jacket or dress worn under armor, to protect the body from the effects of friction; also, a part of a woman's dress; a stomacher.  Nares.  [1913 Webster]

  "Puts off his palmer's weed unto his truss, which bore
  The stains of ancient arms."  [1913 Webster]
•  A bandage or apparatus used in cases of hernia, to keep up the reduced parts and hinder further protrusion, and for other purposes.  [1913 Webster]
•  A tuft of flowers formed at the top of the main stalk, or stem, of certain plants.  [1913 Webster]
•  The rope or iron used to keep the center of a yard to the mast.  [1913 Webster]
•  An assemblage of members of wood or metal, supported at two points, and arranged to transmit pressure vertically to those points, with the least possible strain across the length of any member. Architectural trusses when left visible, as in open timber roofs, often contain members not needed for construction, or are built with greater massiveness than is requisite, or are composed in unscientific ways in accordance with the exigencies of style.  [1913 Webster]

Truss rod, a rod which forms the tension member of a trussed beam, or a tie rod in a truss.

truss, v. t. [F. trousser. See Truss, n.].

•  To bind or pack close; to tie up tightly; to make into a truss.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

  "It [his hood] was trussed up in his wallet."  [1913 Webster]
•  To take fast hold of; to seize and hold firmly; to pounce upon.  [1913 Webster]

  "Who trussing me as eagle doth his prey."  [1913 Webster]
•  To strengthen or stiffen, as a beam or girder, by means of a brace or braces.  [1913 Webster]
•  To skewer; to make fast, as the wings of a fowl to the body in cooking it.  [1913 Webster]
•  To execute by hanging; to hang; -- usually with up.  Sir W. Scott.  [1913 Webster]

To truss a person or To truss one's self, to adjust and fasten the clothing of; especially, to draw tight and tie the laces of garments. [Obs.] “Enter Honeysuckle, in his nightcap, trussing himself.” J. Webster (1607). -- To truss up, to strain; to make close or tight. -- Trussed beam, a beam which is stiffened by a system of braces constituting a truss of which the beam is a chord.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

truss, n. & v.
--n.
1 a framework, e.g. of rafters and struts, supporting a roof or bridge etc.
2 a surgical appliance worn to support a hernia.
3 Brit. a bundle of old hay (56 lb.) or new hay (60 lb.) or straw (36 lb.).
4 a compact terminal cluster of flowers or fruit.
5 a large corbel supporting a monument etc.
6 Naut. a heavy iron ring securing the lower yards to a mast.
--v.tr.
1 tie up (a fowl) compactly for cooking.
2 (often foll. by up) tie (a person) up with the arms to the sides.
3 support (a roof or bridge etc.) with a truss or trusses.

Derivative

trusser n.

Etymology

ME f. OF trusser (v.), trusse (n.), of unkn. orig.

THESAURUS

truss

bale, band, bandage, belt, bend, bind, bind up, bindle, bolt, bouquet, brace, budget, bundle, bundle up, chain, cinch, deck, deflate, disarm, do up, enchain, fagot, fardel, fasces, fascine, gag, gird, girdle, girt, girth, hamstring, handcuff, hobble, hog-tie, knock out, lace, lash, leash, manacle, muzzle, nosegay, pack, package, packet, paralyze, parcel, posy, prostrate, quiver, roll, roll up, rope, rouleau, sheaf, silence, splice, strangle, strap, swaddle, swathe, throttle, tie, tie up, truss up, wire, wrap, wrap up

ROGET THESAURUS

truss

Junction

VB join, unite, conjoin, connect, associate, put together, lay together, clap together, hang together, lump together, hold together, piece together, tack together, fix together, bind up together together, embody, reembody, roll into one, attach, fix, affix, saddle on, fasten, bind, secure, clinch, twist, make fast, tie, pinion, string, strap, sew, lace, tat, stitch, tack, knit, button, buckle, hitch, lash, truss, bandage, braid, splice, swathe, gird, tether, moor, picket, harness, chain, fetter, lock, latch, belay, brace, hook, grapple, leash, couple, accouple, link, yoke, bracket, marry, bridge over, span, braze, pin, nail, bolt, hasp, clasp, clamp, crimp, screw, rivet, impact, solder, set, weld together, fuse together, wedge, rabbet, mortise, miter, jam, dovetail, enchase, graft, ingraft, inosculate, entwine, intwine, interlink, interlace, intertwine, intertwist, interweave, entangle, twine round, belay, tighten, trice up, screw up, be joined, hang together, hold together, cohere.

Assemblage

N assemblage, collection, collocation, colligation, compilation, levy, gathering, ingathering, muster, attroupement, team, concourse, conflux, congregation, contesseration, convergence, meeting, levee, reunion, drawing room, at home, conversazione, assembly, congress, convention, conventicle, gemote, conclave, posse, posse comitatus, Noah's ark, miscellany, collectanea, museum, menagerie, museology, crowd, throng, group, flood, rush, deluge, rabble, mob, press, crush, cohue, horde, body, tribe, crew, gang, knot, squad, band, party, swarm, shoal, school, covey, flock, herd, drove, atajo, bunch, drive, force, mulada, remuda, roundup, array, bevy, galaxy, corps, company, troop, troupe, task force, army, regiment, host, populousness, clan, brotherhood, fraternity, sorority, association, volley, shower, storm, cloud, group, cluster, Pleiades, clump, pencil, set, batch, lot, pack, budget, assortment, bunch, parcel, packet, package, bundle, fascine, fasces, bale, seron, seroon, fagot, wisp, truss, tuft, shock, rick, fardel, stack, sheaf, haycock, fascicle, fascicule, fasciculus, gavel, hattock, stook, accumulation, congeries, heap, lump, pile, rouleau, tissue, mass, pyramid, bing, drift, snowball, snowdrift, acervation, cumulation, glomeration, agglomeration, conglobation, conglomeration, conglomerate, coacervate, coacervation, coagmentation, aggregation, concentration, congestion, omnium gaterum, spicilegium, black hole of Calcutta, quantity, collector, gatherer, whip, whipper in, assembled, closely packed, dense, serried, crowded to suffocation, teeming, swarming, populous, as thick as hops, all of a heap, fasciculated cumulative, the plot thickens, acervatim, tibi seris tibi metis.

VB assemble, collect, muster, meet, unite, join, rejoin, cluster, flock, swarm, surge, stream, herd, crowd, throng, associate, congregate, conglomerate, concentrate, precipitate, center round, rendezvous, resort, come together, flock get together, pig together, forgather, huddle, reassemble, assemble, muster, bring together, get together, put together, draw together, scrape together, lump together, collect, collocate, colligate, get, whip in, gather, hold a meeting, convene, convoke, convocate, rake up, dredge, heap, mass, pile, pack, put up, truss, cram, acervate, agglomerate, aggregate, compile, group, aggroup, concentrate, unite, collect into a focus, bring into a focus, amass, accumulate, collect in a dragnet, heap Ossa upon Pelion.

Support

N support, ground, foundation, base, basis, terra firma, bearing, fulcrum, bait, caudex crib, point d'appui, pou sto, purchase footing, hold, locus standi, landing place, landing stage, stage, platform, block, rest, resting place, groundwork, substratum, riprap, sustentation, subvention, floor, supporter, aid, prop, stand, anvil, fulciment, cue rest, jigger, monkey, stay, shore, skid, rib, truss, bandage, sleeper, stirrup, stilts, shoe, sole, heel, splint, lap, bar, rod, boom, sprit, outrigger, ratlings, staff, stick, crutch, alpenstock, baton, staddle, bourdon, cowlstaff, lathi, mahlstick, post, pillar, shaft, thill, column, pilaster, pediment, pedicle, pedestal, plinth, shank, leg, socle, zocle, buttress, jamb, mullion, abutment, baluster, banister, stanchion, balustrade, headstone, upright, door post, jamb, door jamb, frame, framework, scaffold, skeleton, beam, rafter, girder, lintel, joist, travis, trave, corner stone, summer, transom, rung, round, step, sill, angle rafter, hip rafter, cantilever, modillion, crown post, king post, vertebra, columella, backbone, keystone, axle, axletree, axis, arch, mainstay, trunnion, pivot, rowlock, peg, tiebeam, thole pin, board, ledge, shelf, hob, bracket, trevet, trivet, arbor, rack, mantel, mantle piece, mantleshelf, slab, console, counter, dresser, flange, corbel, table, trestle, shoulder, perch, horse, easel, desk, clotheshorse, hatrack, retable, teapoy, seat, throne, dais, divan, musnud, chair, bench, form, stool, sofa, settee, stall, arm chair, easy chair, elbow chair, rocking chair, couch, fauteuil, woolsack, ottoman, settle, squab, bench, aparejo, faldstool, horn, long chair, long sleeve chair, morris chair, lamba chauki, lamba kursi, saddle, pannel, pillion, side saddle, pack saddle, pommel, bed, berth, pallet, tester, crib, cot, hammock, shakedown, trucklebed, cradle, litter, stretcher, bedstead, four poster, French bed, bunk, kip, palang, bedding, bichhona, mattress, paillasse, pillow, bolster, mat, rug, cushion, footstool, hassock, tabouret, tripod, monopod, Atlas, Persides, Atlantes, Caryatides, Hercules, supporting, supported, fundamental, dorsigerous, astride on, straddle.