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entrench

American  
[en-trench] / ɛnˈtrɛntʃ /

verb (used with object)

  1. to place in a position of strength; establish firmly or solidly.

    safely entrenched behind undeniable facts.
    Synonyms:
    embed, implant, set, ensconce, settle

  2. to dig trenches for defensive purposes around (oneself, a military position, etc.).

verb (used without object)

  1. to encroach; trespass; infringe (usually followed by on orupon ).

    to entrench on the domain or rights of another.
entrench British  
/ ɪnˈtrɛntʃ /

verb

  1. (tr) to construct (a defensive position) by digging trenches around it

  2. (tr) to fix or establish firmly, esp so as to prevent removal or change

  3. (intr; foll by on or upon) to trespass or encroach; infringe

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • entrenched adjective
  • entrencher noun
  • reentrench verb

Etymology

Origin of entrench

First recorded in 1545–55; en- 1 + trench

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.