trellis

American  

[trel-is] / ˈtrɛl ɪs /

noun

1. a frame or structure of latticework; lattice.

2. a framework of this kind used as a support for growing vines or plants.

3. a summerhouse, gazebo, arch, etc., made chiefly or completely of latticework.

4. Heraldry. a charge of bendlets overlying bendlets sinister, the whole being cloué at the crossings.

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verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with a trellis.

2. to enclose in a trellis.

3. to train or support on a trellis.

4. to form into or like a trellis.

trellis British  

/ ˈtrɛlɪs /

noun

1. a structure or pattern of latticework, esp one used to support climbing plants

2. an arch made of latticework

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verb

1. to interweave (strips of wood, etc) to make a trellis

2. to provide or support with a trellis

Other Word Forms

• trellis-like adjective

Etymology

Origin of trellis

1350–1400; Middle English trelis < Middle French (noun) < Late Latin trilīcius (for Latin trilīx ) woven with three threads, equivalent to Latin tri- tri- + līci ( um ) thread + -us adj. suffix

Explanation

A trellis is a type of structure used to guide and support climbing plants such as ivy. Trellis is related to words for woven fabrics, and that can help you remember how a trellis looks: the material, usually a type of wood, is criss-crossed in a latticework. The purpose of the trellis is to support climbing plants, which can't stand straight like a tree or houseplant. With the aid of the trellis, the climbing plant wraps around the trellis and adds decoration to a garden. Sometimes trellis is used as a metaphor for other kinds of support.

Example Sentences

"It acts like a scaffold for nerves to grow along like a rose on a trellis," Dr Alex Woods explains, holding threads of silk worthy of Spider-man.

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

The couple are also planning to put a pool and “inset spa” in the backyard, while also building a pool deck and a boardwalk, as well as a trellis.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 17, 2025

A plant-covered trellis, known as “the hanging garden,” provides a more compressed moment of pause.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2025

Alex Alonso, the founder of Mr. Alex Tate Design in Miami, recently completed a room in a house near Palm Beach, Florida, that has white trellis panels covering a light pink ceiling.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 19, 2023

The late sun sifts through the bougainvillea trained to climb the walls of the patio, to thread across the trellis roof, to pour down magenta and purple blossoms.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• arbor
• lattice