entrenching tool

/in'trentʃiɳ'tu:l/

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Word: Entrenching Tool

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: An entrenching tool is a small hand shovel that soldiers, especially infantrymen, carry with them. It is used for digging trenches in the ground, which are long, narrow ditches. These trenches can provide protection during battles or serve as places to store equipment.

Usage Instructions:

• You can use "entrenching tool" when talking about military equipment or activities related to digging.
• It is typically used in a military context, but can also be mentioned in discussions about outdoor activities or survival skills.

Example Sentence:

• "The soldiers used their entrenching tools to quickly dig a trench for cover during the exercise."

Advanced Usage:

• In a metaphorical sense, "entrenching" can refer to deeply establishing a belief or practice within a system or organization. For example, "The new policies are entrenching a culture of innovation within the company."

Word Variants:

• The word "entrench" (verb) means to establish something firmly or securely.
  • Example: "The laws were entrenched in the constitution."

Different Meaning:

• In addition to its military meaning, "entrench" can refer to establishing something in a way that makes it difficult to change or remove, such as entrenched beliefs.

Synonyms:

• For "entrenching tool": shovel, spade, trowel (though these may not be exact matches, they are related tools used for digging).
• For "entrench": establish, secure, fix.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There aren’t specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "entrenching tool," but you might hear phrases like "entrench oneself" which means to firmly establish oneself in a position or belief.

Academic

Noun

1. a hand shovel carried by infantrymen for digging trenches

Synonyms

• trenching spade