truss
truss
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for truss is /tr∆s/.
Syllable Breakdown
The word truss has a single syllable:
/tr∆s/ - The sound is a blend of the /t/ and /r/ sounds, followed by the /∆/ (the 'uh' sound like in 'cup'), and ending with the /s/ sound.
Word Form Variations
The word truss can take the following forms:
Singular Noun: truss (e.g., a single truss)
Plural Noun: trusses (e.g., several roof trusses)
Base Verb: truss (e.g., to truss a chicken)
Third-Person Singular Present Verb: trusses (e.g., He trusses the meat carefully.)
Present Participle/Gerund: trussing (e.g., She is trussing the bird.)
Past Tense Verb/Past Participle: trussed (e.g., They trussed the scaffolding.)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A truss is a framework, typically consisting of straight members connected at joints to form a rigid, often triangular, structure, used to support a roof, bridge, or other heavy load over a span.
Synonyms: framework, support, beam, girder, joist
Antonyms: (Context-dependent, but generally) gap, opening, unsupported area
Verb
To bind or tie up (a person or an animal) tightly and securely, especially so the limbs are held close to the body. This usage is common in cooking to prepare poultry for roasting by tying the wings and legs.
Synonyms: bind, tie, fasten, secure, restrain
Antonyms: release, unbind, untie, free, loosen
To support or strengthen (a structure) with a truss or system of trusses.
Synonyms: brace, reinforce, shore up, bolster, prop
Antonyms: weaken, undermine, destabilize, collapse
Examples of Use
Construction and Engineering (Noun)
The most common real-world usage of the noun truss is in the context of structural frameworks, particularly in large spans like roofs and bridges.
Newspapers & Online Publications:
"The construction of the new community center hit a snag when a delivery of prefabricated trusses for the roof was delayed due to poor weather conditions."
"Inspectors were called in to evaluate the structural integrity of the historic railway bridge after fatigue was detected in several of the original steel trusses" (The Structure Magazine, September 2012).
Books & Technical Literature:
Engineering textbooks contain deep analysis on specific designs: "The Pratt truss was a popular choice for rail bridges in the late 19th century, utilizing vertical members in compression and diagonal members in tension" (Theory and Design of Railway Truss Bridges).
General Discourse:
A homeowner might say: "We decided to go with exposed wooden trusses in the living room to create a rustic, vaulted ceiling effect."
Culinary Arts (Verb)
The verb truss is a fundamental technique in cooking, primarily used when preparing poultry for roasting.
Online Publications & Recipe Blogs:
"Before roasting the whole chicken, it's essential to truss the bird with butcher’s twine to ensure the legs and wings cook evenly with the breast meat" (MasterClass, July 2021).
"While some home cooks prefer not to bother, a properly trussed turkey will have a tidier presentation when carved at the holiday table" (The Kitchn, September 2025).
Books:
Cookbooks often dedicate a section to the procedure: "Trussing not only gives any poultry a compact shape by holding the legs and wings close to the body, it also simplifies turning the bird during roasting and prevents the skin from splitting at the joints" (Quoting Richard Olney, The Good Cook series, The Slow Cook, February 2011).
Figurative & Public Discourse (Proper Noun / Contextual)
The term has entered broader discourse, often figuratively or, more recently, as part of a proper noun.
Books & Rhetoric Analysis (Figurative):
The name of British author Lynne Truss became prominent in discussions of grammar and punctuation due to her book, Eats, Shoots & Leaves, leading to phrases like "The discipline of Lynne Truss" in academic rhetoric (Steven Scott Lunsford Dissertation, 2007).
News & Political Commentary (Proper Noun):
The name of former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss frequently appears in headlines and articles, particularly in discussions of economic policy.
"I will not allow the anti-growth coalition to hold us back... This was Truss seeking to reassure the Tory faithful" (The Guardian, October 2022).
During her short term, political commentary often used her name to represent her economic decisions: "She was complaining that saying she had crashed the economy was damaging her reputation. It was actually crashing the economy that damaged her reputation" (The Law and Policy Blog, January 2025).
10 Famous Quotes Using Truss
"Big words from a guy who's trussed up like a turkey." (Susan Ee, Angelfall)
"I hear the gull [Sir Piercie] clamorous for someone to truss his points." (Sir Walter Scott, The Monastery, 1820)
"The galvanized trusses have a built in pitch via the positioning of the top chords so water will easily run off the roof." (Wall Street Journal, 2020)
"The waitresses, called bunnies, were trussed in brief satin suits with cotton fluffs fastened to their derrières." (Laura Mansnerus, New York Times, 2017)
"If you still persist in writing, ‘Good food at it’s best,’ you deserve to be struck by lightning, hacked up on the spot and buried in an unmarked grave." (Lynne Truss, Eats, Shoots & Leaves, 2003)
"You’ve heard of trussing a chicken or a turkey." (Wall Street Journal, 2024)
"She was trussed up with yellow nylon rope." (Collins English Dictionary, Example Sentence)
"The 1889 Tower Building in New York... did have a reasonably well-thought-out set of wind-bracing trusses." (Old Structures Engineering, 2023)
"Then the two abruptly left, closing the storage unit door with Riley still trussed up but alive." (Maxine Bernstein, OregonLive.com, 2018)
"I am a fighter, not a quitter." (Truss in the House of Commons, October 2022)
Etymology
The word truss comes from Old French, specifically the word trousse, which appeared around the year 1200.
In its original, core sense, trousse meant:
"A bundle, a pack, or a collection of things bound together."
"To tie, bind, or fasten tightly."
This original meaning directly relates to both ways we use the word today:
As a verb: When a cook trusses a chicken, they are literally tying the limbs into a neat, secure bundle (the old meaning of the verb).
As a noun: The word was applied to engineering structures because a building truss is a collection of beams (members) bound together to form a single, rigid unit, often in a triangular pattern for strength (the old meaning of the noun).
So, the meaning hasn't really changed—it has just been applied to different objects, all of which involve binding things securely together.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Truss
Because the word "truss" is primarily a technical term (construction) or a culinary instruction (cooking), it does not feature prominently in modern, idiomatic English. Below is a list of phrases, technical applications, and equivalent idioms using the word or its closest synonyms.
Phrases and Technical Applications Using "Truss"
To truss a chicken/turkey: The specific culinary phrase meaning to tie up the wings and legs of a bird before roasting to ensure even cooking.
To be trussed up like a turkey: A phrase that describes a person being tied or bound securely and helplessly, often with their limbs close to their body.
Roof truss / Bridge truss: Technical nouns for the rigid, triangular frameworks used in civil and structural engineering.
Truss points/points of a truss: The specific joints or nodes where the straight members (beams) of a structural truss connect.
A bundle or truss of hay: A historical or specialized farming term for a specific quantity or bundle of compressed hay or straw.
Idiomatic Equivalents (Using Synonyms or Related Concepts)
These phrases carry the same figurative meaning of "binding" or "securing" as the verb to truss.
To tie the knot: An idiom for getting married (figurative of binding people together).
To be bound hand and foot: An idiom meaning to be completely restrained, similar to being "trussed up."
To be tied to someone's apron strings: An idiom meaning to be overly dependent on or restrained by someone, typically a parent.
To batten down the hatches: An idiom meaning to prepare for trouble or difficult circumstances by securing everything (similar to bracing or supporting a structure with a truss).
To be locked in a brace: A figurative phrase, referring to being rigidly supported or confined by a strengthening structure (like a medical or architectural brace).
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of truss from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
