trunnel

Friendly

Word: Trunnel

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: A trunnel is a wooden peg used in shipbuilding. It is inserted into holes in timbers (the large wooden beams used in constructing ships) to hold them together. When water touches the trunnel, it swells up, making it fit tightly and securely, which helps keep the timbers fastened.

Usage Instructions:

• You can use "trunnel" when talking about shipbuilding or woodworking.
• It is a specific term, so it may not be commonly used in everyday conversation outside of these contexts.

Example Sentence:

• "The shipwright carefully placed the trunnels into the holes of the timbers to ensure the ship would be strong and stable."

Advanced Usage:

• In historical discussions about maritime construction techniques, one might say, "The use of trunnels was crucial in the durability of wooden ships during the Golden Age of Sail."

Word Variants:

• There aren’t many direct variants of "trunnel," but you might encounter related terms like "trunnion," which refers to a pivot point but is not directly related to shipbuilding.

Different Meaning:

• "Trunnel" primarily refers to the wooden peg in shipbuilding. It does not have other common meanings in modern English.

Synonyms:

• Wooden peg
• Fastening peg
• Timber peg (though these are more general terms)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs that include "trunnel," as it is a specialized term.

Summary:

"Trunnel" is a specific noun used in shipbuilding to describe a wooden peg that helps secure timbers together.

Academic

Noun

1. a wooden peg that is used to fasten timbers in shipbuilding; water causes the peg to swell and hold the timbers fast

Synonyms

• treenail
• trenail