trestle

noun

tres·​tle ˈtre-səl 

 also  ˈtrə-

variants or less commonly tressel

1

: a braced frame serving as a support

2

: horse sense 2b

3

: a braced framework of timbers, piles, or steelwork for carrying a road or railroad over a depression

Examples of trestle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The train chugs past the Chugach Mountains and across Hurricane Gulch atop a 296-foot-high trestle bridge. —The Editors, Outside, 31 Aug. 2025

The structure is made up of two towers that look a bit like train trestles and a drawbridge-looking structure that helped bounce the sound toward the audience. —Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 22 Aug. 2025

Skagway’s Gold Rush facades lead to the White Pass & Yukon Route, climbing past waterfalls and trestle bridges. —Jill Schildhouse, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025

Keaton and crew built a 215-ft-long (65.5-m) wooden trestle across the river. —Joe Salas june 07, New Atlas, 7 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English trestel, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *trastellum, from Latin transtillum, diminutive of transtrum traverse beam, from trans across — more at through entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing trestle

• trestle table

Rhymes for trestle

• cresol
• decile
• nestle
• pestle
• sessile
• vessel
• wessel
• wrestle
• subsessile

Kids Definition

trestle

noun

tres·​tle ˈtres-əl 

1

: a braced frame consisting usually of a horizontal piece with spreading legs at each end that supports something (as the top of a table)

2

: a structure of timbers or steel for carrying a road or railroad over a valley