retrancher

to cut off, deduct

verb ruh-trahn-SHAY Rare

Origin: From re- + trancher, 'to cut'

Also means

to entrench oneself

Usage Note

Retrancher in its financial sense means to subtract or deduct a sum. In a military context, se retrancher means to dig in or fortify a position, and figuratively it means to take refuge — il se retranche derrière ses arguments (he hides behind his arguments). The reflexive form is very common.

Examples

"Il faut retrancher les frais du total."

Natural Translation

You must deduct the fees from the total.

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