1
- a long, narrow ditch（长而窄的）沟, 沟渠。
1.1
- such a ditch dug by troops to provide a place of shelter from enemy fire战壕, 堑壕。
1.2
trenches
a connected system of such ditches forming an army's line堑壕阵地。
1.3
the trenches
the battlefields of northern France and Belgium in the First World War一战时期法国北部和比利时的堑壕战：the slaughter in the trenches created a new cynicism.
堑壕战的杀戮催生了新犬儒主义。
1.4
- （亦作ocean trench）a long, narrow, deep depression in the ocean bed, typically one running parallel to a plate boundary and marking a subduction zone海沟, 海底沟。
1.5
- a trench coat战壕雨衣。
1
- with obj. dig a trench or trenches in (the ground)在（地）上开沟; 在…上挖战壕：
she trenched the terrace to a depth of 6 feet.
她在阶地里挖了个六英尺深的沟。
1.1
- turn over the earth of (a field or garden) by digging a succession of adjoining ditches翻（田地, 花园）的地。
2
- no obj.
trench on/upon
archaic border closely on; encroach upon〈古〉接近; 侵犯： this would surely trench very far on the dignity and liberty of citizens.
这一定会极大地侵犯公民的尊严和自由。
词源
late Middle English （in the senses 'track cut through a wood' and 'sever by cutting'）： from Old French trenche (noun)， trenchier (verb)， based on Latin truncare （see TRUNCATE）.