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tranchée

trench

noun trahn-SHEH Rare
Travel & Places Landmarks

Origin: from 'trancher' (to cut), from Vulgar Latin 'trincare'

Usage Note

Tranchée is feminine and refers to a long, narrow ditch dug in the ground, most famously associated with World War I — la guerre des tranchées (trench warfare) is a defining image in French cultural memory, particularly at Verdun. In construction, une tranchée is a utility trench. The word shares its root with trancher (to slice) and tranche (a slice or portion).

Examples

"Les soldats dormaient dans les tranchées."

Natural Translation

The soldiers slept in the trenches.

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