N‑COUNT
In a game of cards, a
trump
is a playing card which belongs to the suit which has been chosen as trumps. □
He played a trump.
3
VERB
If you
trump
what someone has said or done, you beat it by saying or doing something else that seems better. □ [V
n]
The Socialists tried to trump this with their slogan.
4
PHRASE
Your
trump card
is something powerful that you can use or do, which gives you an advantage over someone. □
In the end, the Ten took their appeal to the Supreme Court; this, they had believed from the outset, would be their trump card.
5
PHRASE
If you say that someone
came up trumps
, you mean that they did something successfully, often when they were not expected to. [BRIT
] □
Dwayne has come up trumps with a goal worthy of winning any match.
tru
mped-u
p
ADJ
[usu ADJ
n]
Trumped-up
charges are untrue, and made up in order to punish someone unfairly.
trum|pet
/trʌ
mp
I
t/ (trumpets
, trumpeting
, trumpeted
)
1
N‑VAR
A
trumpet
is a musical instrument of the brass family which plays quite high notes. You play the trumpet by blowing into it.
2
VERB
If someone
trumpets
something that they are proud of or that they think is important, they speak about it publicly in a very forceful way. □ [V
n + as
]
The government has been trumpeting tourism as a growth industry.
□ [V
+ about
]
Nobody should be trumpeting about chemical weapons.
□ [be
V
-ed that]
It was trumpeted that the nation's health was improving.
[Also V
n]
trum|pet|er
/trʌ
mp
I
tə
r
/ (trumpeters
) N‑COUNT
A
trumpeter
is someone who plays a trumpet.
trun|cat|ed
/trʌŋke
I
t
I
d, [AM
] trʌ
ŋke
I
t
I
d/ ADJ
[usu ADJ
n] A
truncated
version of something is one that has been shortened. □
The review body has produced a truncated version of its annual report.
trun|cheon
/trʌ
ntʃən/ (truncheons
) N‑COUNT
A
truncheon
is a short, thick stick that is carried as a weapon by a police officer. [BRIT
]
in AM, use billy
trun|dle
/trʌ
nd
ə
l/ (trundles
, trundling
, trundled
)
1
VERB
If a vehicle
trundles
somewhere, it moves there slowly, often with difficulty or an irregular movement. □ [V
prep/adv]
The train eventually trundled in at 7.54.
2
VERB
If you
trundle
something somewhere, especially a small, heavy object with wheels, you move or roll it along slowly. □ [V
n adv/prep]
The old man lifted the barrow and trundled it away.
3
VERB
If you say that someone
is trundling
somewhere, you mean that they are walking slowly, often in a tired way or with heavy steps. □ [V
adv/prep]
Girls trundle in carrying heavy book bags.
trunk
/trʌ
ŋk/ (trunks
)
1
N‑COUNT
[n N
] The
trunk
of a tree is the large main stem from which the branches grow. □ [+ of
]
…the gnarled trunk of a birch tree.
2
N‑COUNT
A
trunk
is a large, strong case or box used for storing things or for taking on a journey.
3
N‑COUNT
[usu with poss] An elephant's
trunk
is its very long nose that it uses to lift food and water to its mouth.
4
N‑COUNT
The
trunk
of a car is a covered space at the back or front in which you put luggage or other things. [AM
]
in BRIT, use boot5
N‑PLURAL
Trunks
are shorts that a man wears when he goes swimming.
6
N‑COUNT
[usu sing] Your
trunk
is the central part of your body, from your neck to your waist. [FORMAL
]
tru
nk road
(
trunk roads
) N‑COUNT
A
trunk road
is a major road that has been specially built for travelling long distances. A trunk road is not as wide or as fast as a motorway. [BRIT
]
truss
/trʌ
s/ (trusses
, trussing
, trussed
)
1
VERB
To
truss
someone means to tie them up very tightly so that they cannot move. [WRITTEN
] □ [V
n]
She trussed him quickly with stolen bandage, and gagged his mouth.
● PHRASAL VERB
[usu passive]
Truss up
means the same as truss
. □ [be
V
-ed P
+ with
]
She was trussed up with yellow nylon rope.
[Also V
n P
]
2
N‑COUNT
A
truss
is a special belt with a pad that a man wears when he has a hernia in order to prevent it from getting worse.